Whatever It Takes
by minervanyx
Summary: Summary: Nikolas Cassadine and Emily Quartermaine have not seen each other in years. When they meet again after Emily is the victim of a violent crime, it will be up to Nikolas to protect her, whatever it takes.
1. Prologue

Title: Whatever it Takes

Genre/Rating: Drama, Romance, Action & Adventure; PG-13/R

Summary: Nikolas Cassadine and Emily Quartermaine have not seen each other in years. When they meet again after Emily is the victim of a violent crime, it will be up to Nikolas to protect her, whatever it takes.

Background: Okay, so I'm going a little AU here, so I just wanted to give some background information. In this story, Nikolas is 28 and Emily is 26. They have never been together romantically. Nikolas did help Emily through her cancer, but the first round of chemo worked and she was never on her deathbed. She never even told Zander the truth about her illness. While the pair did develop feelings for each other, they never expressed them (translation: she spent the night at Wyndemere, but they never kissed on the bluffs or any of that). When Nikolas refused to marry Lydia, the Cassadine Empire and Cassadine Industries fell apart and drove Stefan to commit suicide. Meanwhile, Emily decided to return to Stanford and pursue a career in medicine. She finished college and med school in California and then returned to Port Charles to complete her residency.

Prologue

_June 16, 2003_

"You really didn't have to bring me to the airport, Nikolas," Emily said as she and Nikolas walked into the concourse of JFK Airport. "I could have just asked the Quartermaine driver to bring me."

"I know," Nikolas responded, reaching down and taking Emily's carry-on bag from her hand as they made their way towards the terminal. "But I wanted to. Besides, I thought you might want my company over that of the Quartermaine's driver or someone."

"Mmm…true," Emily said with a smile. "I'd take my best friend and source of strength over a stranger anyday."

"You know I'm always there for you, right?" Nikolas asked her as they continued to walk.

Emily gave him a sideways look. "Well if I didn't before, you certainly proved it over the past few months. But I always knew that you'd be there for me, Nikolas. That's why I came to you when I got sick."

The pair came to a halt in front of Emily's terminal. Nikolas turned and looked Emily in the eye. "I'm honored that you trusted me and came to me," he said sincerely. "And I'm glad that I could help."

"You did more than just help me, Nikolas. You saved me. When I came home from Stanford, I was convinced that I was going to die. All I wanted to do was protect the person I thought loved me from having to watch me die, and I was successful with that. The plan worked exactly as I had hoped it would. And now that I survived…"

"It's not your fault that Zander was stupid enough to give up on you, Emily. You didn't force him to turn to Gia."

"Really? Because I think I was pretty convincing being in love with you," Emily said with sadness and a hint of anger, not with Nikolas, but with herself and the situation.

They looked at each other silently, trying to communicate with their eyes what they were both too scared to say out loud.

"We both were," Nikolas said softly.

Emily nodded, clearing her throat as she continued. "Yeah. But my point was, when Zander ended things between us, it was just another blow to my will to survive. But you wouldn't let me give up. You wouldn't let me die. And in the end, it was you who gave me the strength to beat this, Nikolas. I hope you know how much that means to me, how much you've done for me."

"Well, my motives weren't entirely selfless, Emily. You mean so much to me. I was not going to lose you." He smiled. "I still want to know you when I'm 73."

Emily laughed, a look of sadness coming to her face. "Well, the feeling is mutual, so you better take care of yourself." She sighed. "God, I can't believe you're joining the Marines."

Nikolas shrugged. "There's nothing left for me in Cassadine Industries. I'm not going to marry Lydia to save the family. My uncle is dead because of it. My whole family has been destroyed because of the business. Alexis wants nothing to do with it, which leave me and my grandmother, and frankly I don't care what happens to her. I need to start over."

"But why the Marines? Why leave Port Charles?"

Nikolas looked at her. "I have no reason to stay."

Emily looked away, unable to meet his gaze. "Nikolas…"

At that moment, her flight was called. She continued to stare at the ground, tears filling her eyes. There was so much she wanted to say, but she didn't know how to get the words out. Finally, she looked at him. "Thank you so much. For everything." Tears began to make their way down her cheeks. "I know 'thank you' is so inadequate, but I-"

Nikolas cut her off, pulling her into a tight embrace. Emily clutched at the back of his shirt, sobbing. "Be happy," he murmured in her ear, his face buried in her hair. "That's all I ever wanted for you."

Emily could only nod. "I will."

He pulled back and wiped the tears from her face. "Go and study and become a doctor and make your dreams come true." He held her by the shoulders, trying to control his own emotions. "Okay?"

Emily nodded again. "Be careful, Nikolas." _I don't know what I would do without you_, she added silently.

Nikolas managed a smile. "I will." He kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger for a moment. "Go on," he whispered.

She picked up her carry-on bag and, with one last look, turned and walked towards the terminal. Nikolas turned away, a tear trickling down his cheek. He turned back to call out to her, to tell her everything he was feeling inside, how much he loved her, but when he did, Emily was already gone.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

_October 23, 2009- New York City_

"So Cassadine, any idea as to why we were called to answer a domestic disturbance call?" Mark Hammond asked as he drove through the streets of New York City.

Nikolas Cassadine glanced at his partner and shrugged. "Spurlock just said that it had to do with a major crime figure and that the NYPD would meet us at the scene," he replied, referring to their boss in the FBI's Organized Crime Unit. "We'll find out more once we get there."

A few minutes later, the car pulled up in front of a ritzy hotel. Nikolas and Mark exited the car and entered the building, flashing their badges as they did so. A short, chubby and profusely perspiring man with slicked back hair hurried towards them as they approached the front desk.

"Gerald Ashford," he said anxiously, extending his hand. "Hotel manager."

Nikolas shook his hand. "Agent Nikolas Cassadine, FBI. This is my partner, Mark Hammond. What's the situation here?"

"Guests on the fifth floor phoned into the front desk about twenty minutes ago saying that they could hear loud crashing noises and screams coming from room 513.Upon checking the guest registry, and calling the room but receiving no answer, we called the police."

"Who are the occupants of the room?" Hammond asked.

"A Michael Corinthos, Jr. The bellhop said he brought an unknown female guest to Mr. Corinthos's room earlier in the evening," Ashford replied, checking the guest registry.

Nikolas felt his stomach clench. He hadn't heard that name in years.

Mark must have seen the recognition on his face. "Is that name familiar to you?" he asked Nikolas.

Nikolas nodded. "He's more commonly known as Sonny Corinthos. His home base is Port Charles, New York. It's where I grew up."

"Oh," Mark replied, recognition flooding his face. Everyone had heard about Sonny Corinthos, especially after he had avoided conviction for murdering fellow mobster Lorenzo Alcazar. Corinthos was currently the FBI's most sought after crime-figure on the east coast. "We should probably get up there, then."

Nikolas nodded his agreement and they made their way towards the stairs, calling for the NYPD to back them up as they did so. They quickly ascended to the fifth floor and moved rapidly to room 513. Nikolas drew his gun from its holster and listened intently. There was no sound coming from the other side of the door.

He pounded on the door. "Mr. Corinthos, FBI! Open the door!" He paused. "Mr. Corinthos, if you don't open the door we will break it down." Nothing. Nikolas glanced at two NYPD officers and gave a nod. "Do it," he commanded.

The two SWAT officers broke down the door with a battering ram and Nikolas entered the room with his weapon ready. He made his way through the large common area cautiously. There, sitting in one of the plush armchairs and icing his bruised knuckles as if nothing were the matter, was Sonny Corinthos. He seemed supremely unconcerned with the multitude of law enforcement officers swarming his hotel room; in fact, Nikolas thought he saw a slight smirk on the mobster's face. He approached Sonny, keeping his gun pointed at the crime-figure in case he was concealing a weapon of his own.

"Mr. Corinthos?" Nikolas said. "There was a report of disturbance in your room. Is everything okay?" he asked, knowing full well that everything was not okay.

Sonny said nothing. He continued to sit icing his knuckles, staring straight ahead with a grin playing at his features.

From behind him, Nikolas heard Mark call his name. Nikolas turned and followed Mark's urgent voice into the bedroom. He found him crouched over the figure of a woman who lay in a crumpled heap on the floor, apparently unconscious. Nikolas immediately called for a paramedic to come and examine the woman. He crouched next to Mark.

"He really did a number on her," Mark observed. "I can't even imagine what her face must look like." The woman's arms were over her head, as if she had been trying to protect herself before she lost consciousness. As a result, her face was obscured from view.

"Do you want to roll her?" Mark asked. Nikolas nodded. Together, with the paramedic supporting her neck, the three men gently eased the woman onto her back, revealing her face.

Nikolas felt as though he had been punched in the stomach. He couldn't breathe. Her face was bruised and bloodied, with the area around her left eye already swelling and her lip split. Her breathing seemed to be labored. As the paramedic began to tend to her, Nikolas fought to focus. _It can't be her…_ he thought desperately. But it was.

"The bastard really beat the hell out of her," the paramedic said aloud, to no one in particular. "She's going to need blood."

"O-negative," Nikolas said quietly, almost to himself. Seeing the confused looks of both Mark and the paramedic, he elaborated. "Her blood type is o-negative." He'd always thought it was fitting that her blood type was o-negative, Nikolas reminded himself. The universal donor.

"Do you know her?" Mark's question jarred Nikolas from his thoughts.

He could only nod, continuing to look down into the face of Emily Quartermaine, the only woman he had ever loved.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It took everything in Nikolas for him not to pummel Sonny Corinthos as Mark read him his rights and formally arrested him for assault. The smug grin on Sonny's face was pushing Nikolas to the edge of his self-control. He was saved from doing anything rash when the paramedics took a still unconscious Emily past him on a stretcher. He caught Mark's eye and motioned him over.

"I'm going to ride with the victim to the hospital," Nikolas said, trying to sound professional and not like he just wanted to be near Emily. "If she wakes up on the way, she might be able to tell us something important. I'll meet you back at the station." He glanced at Sonny. "Don't start questioning him without me."

Mark simply nodded. Nikolas turned and followed the stretcher outside to the waiting ambulance. He climbed in and sat on the seat next to the stretcher. As the paramedics secured the stretcher and prepared to leave, Nikolas tried to process what was happening. Emily Quartermaine, his Emily Quartermaine, was lying unconscious in front of him, the victim of an assault. He hadn't seen or talked to her in years, since the day he took her to the airport. Nikolas sighed and ran a hand over his face and through his hair as he continued to look at Emily. A million thoughts and questions were running through his mind. Why was she in a hotel room with Sonny Corinthos? What was she doing there? Why was she in New York City? But more importantly, does her whole face still light up when she smiles? Does she still eat toffee crunch ice cream and brownies when she feels bad? Does she think about him constantly, the way he thinks about her? He looked at her hand lying next to her prone body. He unobtrusively took it in his own, gently brushing his thumb against her knuckles, the way he used to hold her hand after the chemo. He didn't relinquish his hold until the ambulance arrived at the hospital.

Doctors immediately brought Emily to an examination room. Nikolas stood outside and watched as the doctors and nurses began to work on her. He remained that way until one of the doctors came out to speak with him.

"Excuse me, Mr…?" the doctor said.

"Special Agent Nikolas Cassadine, FBI," Nikolas replied, his gaze never leaving Emily.

"Okay, Agent Cassadine," the doctor began. "I'm Anthony DaSilva, the attending emergency room physician."

"How's she doing?" Nikolas asked, indicating Emily.

"Pretty well, considering," Dr. DaSilva responded, scratching his cheek. "She took quite a beating. There are multiple lacerations on her face and arms, plus defensive wounds on her hands. She definitely put up one hell of a fight. Then she's got lots of bruises, a lightly sprained left wrist and a couple of bruised ribs. There was also…" the doctor trailed off, a frown taking over his face.

"Also what?" Nikolas asked, feeling his stomach drop, fearing the worst.

"There were also signs of bruising on Ms. Quartermaine's lower abdomen and upper thighs," the doctor answered. He sighed. "Since she's still unconscious, and we gave her sedatives to help keep her that way, I'm going to have a nurse do a rape kit."

"You think she was raped?" Nikolas tried to keep his voice level and professional while his hands curled into fists at his side. The thought of anyone hurting Emily made his blood boil and gave him the overwhelming urge to hit something. He was pretty sure Sonny's face would suffice.

"We're not sure," Dr. DaSilva replied. "But her vitals are strong and stable, so she's not in any immediate danger. She'll be unconscious for at least another two hours."

"I'll be here when she wakes up," Nikolas assured him, unsure if he was promising the doctor or himself. With one last look at Emily's prone figure on the examination table, Nikolas turned and headed back to FBI headquarters. Sonny Corinthos was going to pay.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Nikolas walked into the FBI's New York office like a man possessed. He headed towards the interrogation rooms, only to be intercepted by his boss, Special Agent in Charge Aaron Spurlock.

"Agent Cassadine," he began, seeing the look in Nikolas's eyes.

"Where is he?" Nikolas asked without preamble.

Spurlock sighed. "In holding room two. Hammond is with him." He looked at Nikolas. "Hammond tells me that you know both Mr. Corinthos and the lady in his hotel room."

Nikolas merely nodded. His hands were still clenched into fists at hi side, and tension radiated from his body.

"He's already asked for his lawyer, so Hammond's just babysitting him until his counsel arrives," Spurlock continued.

Nikolas said nothing. He continued on to interrogation room two and walked inside. Sonny was sitting at the metal table in the center of the room, looking as smug and cocky as he had at the hotel. As Nikolas shut the door behind him, Sonny looked at him. A twisted smile broke out on his face.

"Well, well, well," he said slowly. "If it isn't Prince Cassadine. Long time no see, Prince Nikky."

Mark raised an eyebrow at Nikolas, but Nikolas ignored him. Planting his hands on the table across from Sonny, Nikolas leaned in and stared at him. "You son of a bitch," Nikolas said slowly, trying to control his anger. "How could you do that to her? To Emily?"

"What's the matter?" You bent all out of shape because you weren't there to protect her, Prince?"

Nikolas tried to ignore the truth in Sonny's statement. Instead, he leaned in closer and fixed him with his steeliest glare. He needed an answer to just one question. "Did you rape her?" he hissed through clenched teeth.

Sonny tilted back in his chair, still grinning as he looked at Nikolas. "No," he finally replied. "It wouldn't have been as enjoyable if she was unconscious."

Nikolas felt a muscle pulsing in his jaw. He didn't know whether to be grateful or disgusted. It was all he could do to keep himself from attacking the mobster. Flexing his hands, he stared Sonny down. "You will pay for ever laying a finger on her, Corinthos. I'll make sure of it."

Sonny just continued to grin. "We'll see about that, Cassadine," he replied smugly.

They were interrupted as the door opened and Spurlock poked his head in the room. "Agent Cassadine? Can I speak to you outside for a moment?"

Nikolas sighed inwardly as he left the room. "Yes, sir?"

"What's the story here?" Spurlock asked him.

"Sonny Corinthos operates out of Port Charles, where I'm from," Nikolas explained. "I've known him since I was a teenager."

Spurlock nodded. "And Emily Quartermaine?"

"She's…an old friend," Nikolas replied, cringing as he heard the words leave his mouth. _An old friend? More like the woman I've been in love with for the past six years of my life. The woman I think about constantly. The only woman I have ever, and will ever, love_. "We used to be best friends, but I haven't seen her in years. Since I joined the Marines."

Spurlock said nothing for a moment. "Are you going to be able to handle this case?"

"Yes," Nikolas replied with conviction. No way in hell was he going to let anyone else handle this case.

"All right," Spurlock acquiesced. He looked over Nikolas's shoulder. "Here comes Mr. Corinthos's legal counsel."

Nikolas turned and was mildly surprised to see Ric Lansing walking towards him. Last he knew, Ric hated Sonny with a passion. He waited for Ric to approach him.

"Nikolas?" Ric asked, surprised to see him.

Nikolas inclined his head in greeting. "Ric."

"Where's my brother?"

Nikolas motioned behind him. "In holding room two." He opened the door. "After you."

Ric walked in and sat next to Sonny.

"This is Ric Lansing, Sonny's lawyer," Nikolas said to Mark.

"Ah," was his simple reply.

Ric looked at the federal agents. "What are you charging my brother with?"

"Felony assault, for starters," Nikolas answered, straddling an empty chair and sitting down across from Sonny and Ric.

"Assaulting who?"

"Emily Quartermaine."

To his credit, Ric didn't show much visible reaction, although Nikolas did notice his eyelid twitch.

"I see," he said. "Anything else?"

"Well we got a warrant to search your client's hotel room," Mark continued. "We have his laptop, which I hear has some very interesting information in it about his 'coffee business' and various public officials. So expect bribery, extortion, and federal racketeering charges to follow. I've also been on the phone with the PCPD, and Commissioner Scorpio might be looking to file charges as well, as is the NYPD."

"I'll never see the inside of a courtroom," Sonny arrogantly boasted.

"Like hell you won't," Hammond retorted. "We've got physical evidence from the crime scene, you, and the victim."

"I tend to agree with my brother," Ric said. "Evidence can be thrown out or ruled inadmissible, or it can simply…disappear."

"Victims aren't ruled inadmissible," Mark replied.

"True," Sonny conceded. "But then again, tragic accidents happen to people everyday." He sighed dramatically. "And a trial would take weeks, months maybe. So much can happen…"

"You listen to me, Sonny," Nikolas, who up to this point had remained relatively silent, said with remarkable calm. "If you, or anyone even remotely connected to you, do so much as look sideways at her, I will personally see to it that your mob kingdom comes crashing down around you."

Hammond pulled Sonny to his feet. "Come on, we're going to book you, and then you're going to spend the night in lockup."

Ric stood as well. "You'll be hearing from me."

"I'm sure we will," Hammond muttered under his breath.

"Hey, Mark, can you handle this?" Nikolas asked, checking his watch. "There's somewhere I've got to be."

"Sure."

Nikolas grabbed his jacket and headed for the hospital. He had promised he would be there when Emily woke up, and he had no intention of breaking that promise.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Everything was hazy, like it was happening far away. Even the pain, which she was sure was there, felt distant and remote. As she slowly began to regain consciousness, the first thought to enter Emily Quartermaine's mind was that she might still be dreaming. And as her eyes fluttered open and settled on the person sitting beside her, she became more and more convinced that was, in fact, the case. For there, sitting with his head resting on his hands, possibly dozing, was the man she had dreamed about for the past six years. Afraid to say or do anything for fear he might evaporate like a figment of her imagination, she nevertheless couldn't help herself from whispering his name. "Nikolas."

His head picked up immediately, his eyes meeting hers. "Emily," he said softly. And then he smiled, and Emily was sure that had she been standing, her knees would have buckled beneath her. He reached out and placed his hand over hers, and it was at that moment Emily realized she wasn't dreaming after all.

"Nikolas," she repeated, stunned. And then, somewhat inexplicably, she felt tears welling in her eyes. "Wha…? How?" she spluttered, unable to form a coherent sentence in her current state of shock and joyous disbelief. The tears spilled over her lashes and down her cheeks.

He leaned forward and gently brushed the tears from her face, being careful so as not to touch the bruise already forming under her left eye. "Don't cry, Em," he begged her. "It's okay. You're going to be fine."

Emily shook her head. "I know. I just can't believe you're here." Forgetting the dull ache covering her body, Emily wrapped her arms around Nikolas and pulled him close. "I'm so glad you're safe," she said, her words muffled by the fabric of his shirt.

Nikolas rubbed her back softly, running his hand through her hair. It was still as silky and soft as it had always been, and he could tell she still used the same shampoo. He pulled back and looked at her, letting his eyes wash over her face. "I could say the same about you," he replied softly, the hint of a smile playing at his mouth. His expression sobered. "When the paramedic turned you over and I saw you…." He shook his head. "I was so scared."

Emily's brow furrowed. "You found me?"

Nikolas nodded. "My partner and I responded to the domestic disturbance call at the hotel."

For the first time, Emily noticed the gun in the holster at his hip and the badge attached to the chain hanging from his neck. She had been so surprised and thrilled to see him again, to see his handsome face, that she hadn't noticed anything else until now. "You're a police officer?"

"FBI agent. I work in the Organized Crime Unit, and I got called in because of Sonny."

"An FBI agent, huh? That's very impressive, Mr. Cassadine."

"Well thank you, Miss Quartermaine. Or is it Doctor Quartermaine now?"

Emily blushed slightly. "Doctor. I graduated from medical school in May."

"Congratulations," Nikolas said with a smile. "I'm so happy for you."

"Thank you," Emily replied softly. She winced as she sat up a little taller in her hospital bed.

"You okay?" Nikolas asked, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

Emily managed a smile. "Relatively."

Nikolas nodded. "Em, I have to ask you a couple of questions about what happened. We can do it now, if you want, or later. Or someone else can do it if it would make you more comfortable."

She shook her head. "Nothing could make me feel more comfortable than having you here."

Nikolas gave her a small smile. "All right. I just need your version of what happened, starting at the beginning."

Emily sighed, looking away. "I was in Manhattan for a medical conference. Apparently, I was staying in the same hotel as Sonny. He saw me in the lobby and came over to say hello. He insisted on having dinner with me to catch up since he hadn't seen me in so long. I agreed, thinking we would have a quick meal in the hotel restaurant and that would be it. But when I got back to the hotel today after the conference, there was a note for me at the front desk. It was from Sonny, asking me to meet him at his room instead." She put her hands to her face, frustrated. "I should have realized what he was up to. I mean, the man invited me to dinner in his hotel room. But I just wasn't thinking like that. He's so much older than me, and he and Carly are married." She smiled ruefully. "I guess that's never really stopped him before, though, has it?"

Nikolas shook his head. "No." He caressed her knuckles with his thumb. "What happened next?"

"I went to his room a little before 6:30. He'd made chicken Parmesan. We talked about pointless things during dinner- the semester I spent abroad in Italy during college, and medical school. I went to leave after dinner, but that's when he started to act even more strangely. He started saying all this stuff about how beautiful I was, and how he'd had his eye on me for a long time. He grabbed me and tried to kiss me, and I pushed him off. He went crazy." She drew in a shaky breath. "He started hitting me over and over. I tried to fight him off, but I just couldn't. He just kept hitting me until I blacked out."

Her eyes widened suddenly, a hand flying to her mouth. "Oh my God…" she gasped, fear flooding her face. She began to hyperventilate as the shock and terror finally began to hit her. "Did he…did he rape me?" she whispered, tears falling from her eyes.

Nikolas leaned forward and gathered her tenderly in his arms, once again running his hands up and down her back and through her hair. "No, honey, he didn't. Believe me, he wouldn't still be breathing if he had. I would have killed him." He could feel her trembling, her sobs wracking her body, and he wanted to calm and reassure her. "Shh…" he murmured, holding her a little closer. "I've got you. I'm here. You're safe now, Emily. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I won't let anyone hurt you."

He continued to reassure and hold her until she calmed down. "I'm sorry," she sniffled, wiping her eyes. "I just freaked out for a minute there."

Nikolas smiled and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "It's okay."

"I soaked your shirt," Emily observed with a chuckle.

Nikolas glanced down at his now dark gray t-shirt. "I can think of worse things to happen to it," he said with a smile.

"So," Emily began, taking a restorative breath. "What happens next?"

"Well, we have Sonny in custody. And we have plenty of evidence to go to trial with. So it's a strong probability that there will be a trial, since I don't see Sonny as the type to accept a plea deal." He paused. "I don't get it. Why did Sonny do this to you?" he asked, almost to himself. "You're Jason's sister. Surely this can't be good for their relationship."

"Actually, Jason and Sonny had a falling out years ago, not long after I went back to Stanford and you joined the Marines."

"Really?" Nikolas asked with surprise. "About what?"

"Jason decided his marriage to Courtney was more important than his job. He left the business. Sonny had a fit and cut off all ties with Jason and Courtney."

Nikolas nodded, things now becoming clearer. Emily hadn't agreed to dinner because she cared about Sonny, or even liked him for that matter. She agreed because she thought Sonny wanted to talk about Jason and see how he was doing. "Is that why you agreed to dinner with Sonny? For Jason?"

Emily nodded sadly. "I feel bad for him and Courtney. I can't imagine having your friends and family shut you out of their lives." Her eyes widened again. "Oh my gosh. Does my family know yet?"

Nikolas shook his head. "No. The doctors wanted to call them, but I persuaded them to wait until morning, to give you some time to recover before a herd of Quartermaine's arrive at your bedside. Besides, it is kind of late."

"What time is it?" Emily asked, stifling a yawn.

"About eleven," Nikolas replied. "Listen, I'm going to go and let you get some rest, but I'll be back first thing tomorrow morning and we'll figure out what to do next. In the meantime, there's a police officer right outside your door." He handed her a business card. "That's my cell phone number. If you need anything, even if it's a gallon of toffee crunch ice cream at four in the morning, just call me. Okay?"

Emily nodded and smiled. "Thank you," she said softly, gazing at him. "Thank you for being here for me. You always seem to be here when I need you. I know it's your job and all-"

"Emily," he cut her off. "Even if it wasn't my job, nothing would have stopped me from being here." He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "I'll be back tomorrow morning." He walked to the door. "Oh, and Em?" he called, looking back. "In case you were wondering, you've gotten even more beautiful."

Emily blushed. "You don't look so bad yourself…in case you were wondering," she replied playfully.

Nikolas smiled his gorgeous smile. "Goodnight."

"'Night," Emily whispered, watching him leave. Smiling to herself, she closed her eyes and tried to sleep, glad that she no longer had to only dream of having Nikolas back in her life.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Nikolas didn't sleep that night. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Emily's body crumpled on the floor, heard Sonny's threats. Finally, realizing sleep wasn't going to be coming, he decided to do something productive. Getting out of bed, he took a quick shower. As the hot water rained down on his muscles, a plan began formulating in his mind. Exiting the shower, he slipped into a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. He quickly packed a bag with some clothes and toiletries and then, grabbing his gun and jacket, he headed to Emily's hotel. He packed her suitcase and checked her out. He then headed to the office.

When he arrived, he headed straight for Spurlock's office, finding him seated behind his desk, sipping his coffee. He knocked and Spurlock motioned him inside. "Agent Cassadine, you're up early this morning."

"I couldn't sleep," Nikolas said, sitting down. "I wanted to talk to you about the case."

Spurlock nodded. "What about it?"

"I'm concerned for Emily Quartermaine's safety. Sonny Corinthos has already alluded to the fact that a tragic 'accident' could befall her before the case ever gets to trial. He's capable of doing it. He has vast resources. Her life is in danger."

"What do you suggest we do?"

Nikolas leaned forward. "Let me be her bodyguard. I can protect her. Most of the time I spent in the Marines was in their security detail, protecting foreign dignitaries. I know what I'm doing. Let me do this."

Spurlock contemplated his words. "I'm concerned about your ability to stay detached from the case. You seem to have too much personal involvement with those involved."

Nikolas shook his head, his words becoming more impassioned. "It's exactly because of that knowledge that I'm the best choice. I know Port Charles. I know the people who live there, how they operate. I can protect Emily and coordinate things between the FBI and the PCPD. Mark can handle the case from here without me."

"All right," Spurlock agreed. "You will be Dr. Quartermaine's bodyguard. You will return with her to Port Charles and wherever else she may go, and you will serve as a liaison between the Bureau and the PCPD."

"Thank you, sir," Nikolas said, standing. "I'm going to go to the hospital and check on Emily."

* * *

Emily was sitting in her hospital bed, looking absently out the window, when there was a knock at the door. She turned her head to see Nikolas leaning against the doorframe with a small smile on his face, looking even more gorgeous than he had yesterday. "Nikolas," she said, a smile coming to her face.

"Hey Em," he responded, walking to her bed and taking a seat on the chair beside it. He took her hand in his. "How are you feeling?"

Emily shrugged. "Like I got run over by a truck."

Nikolas chuckled briefly, but he soon turned serious. "You look exhausted," he commented, noticing the dark shadows under her eyes.

Emily nodded. "I had a hard time getting comfortable. And then once I did manage to fall asleep, I kept having nightmares about what happened. I can't even count the number of times I woke up in a cold sweat, feeling like I'd just been punched in the stomach."

"Em…"

"I'm scared, Nikolas," she confessed in a whisper. "And I hate it. I hate feeling this way. I just…I don't know what to do."

"I have an idea," Nikolas told her.

"You do?"

He nodded. "I talked to my supervisor this morning. I told him you needed to be protected from Sonny and the mob, that you needed a bodyguard." He looked at her. "I convinced him to assign me."

Emily felt a feeling of warmth and security spread through her body at hit words. She fought to keep a silly grin from spreading over her face. "You'd do that for me?" she asked.

"In a heartbeat," he affirmed. "I will do anything to keep you safe, Emily." He looked down for a moment, his tone becoming softer. "I've missed you so much over these past years, Em. Seeing you again has only made me realize just how much. I've gone the last six years without my best friend, without being there for you. Nothing is going to stop me from making that up to you."

She felt her eyes fill with tears. She squeezed his hand, still entangled with hers. "Nikolas…" she whispered. "I've missed you too."

Nikolas smiled warmly and reached out with his other hand to wipe away a tear that had trickled from her eye. Emily felt her skin tingle when he touched her face, felt her heart skip a beat in her chest. She tried to push those feelings aside. _He only thinks of you as his best friend_, she told herself. _That's why he's doing this. Because he's your friend_. Still, a part of her couldn't help but hope that maybe, just maybe…

"The doctor says I can leave today," she said abruptly, needing to change the subject and occupy her mind with something else. She pulled her hand away from his and started fiddling with the corner of the blanket covering her.

Nikolas frowned slightly at the sudden change in Emily's behavior, but said nothing. _She only thinks of you as her best friend_, he chastised himself. _Stop making her uncomfortable._

"Is everything okay?" Emily asked, ending his internal reprimand.

"Yeah," he assured her. "It's just that the press found out, and I'm trying to figure out how to deal with them," he lied, not daring to tell her the real reason he was lost in his thoughts.

Emily groaned. "So my family knows?"

"Assuming they've read the newspaper, yes."

"I don't want to have to deal with them, or the reporters," Emily said, almost to herself.

"You won't have to," Nikolas responded. "I went to your hotel this morning and packed up all of your stuff and checked you out. It's all in my car." He picked up a bag from beside her bed. "The clothes you packed didn't look too comfortable, considering, so I stopped at a story and got you some sweats." He handed her the bag.

Emily smiled. "There you go again, taking such great care of me. Thank you, Nikolas." She pulled back the covers and began to ease herself out of bed. She winced as she stood.

"You okay?" Nikolas asked, gently holding her elbows for support.

Emily nodded. "Just sore." She gingerly began walking to the bathroom. "I need a shower."

Nikolas matched her step for step. "A word of advice: take a nice hot shower, but for the last 30 seconds, turn the water to cold." Catching her skeptical look, he smiled. "It'll help, I promise."

She shook her head. "If you say so." She continued on into the bathroom. "I won't be long," she promised.

"Take your time," Nikolas replied. "I'm not going anywhere."

"I know," Emily responded softly.

She shut the door. Nikolas smiled to himself as he sat on the edge of her bed. He listened to the sound of running water, chuckling when Emily squealed as she turned the water to cold. Fifteen minutes later, Emily emerged from the bathroom wearing sweatpants and a long-sleeved t-shirt, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. Nikolas thought she looked beautiful.

"Feel better?" he asked, standing.

Emily nodded. "Yeah. That trick of yours seemed to work. My body doesn't feel so sore anymore."

"I learned that early on in boot camp," Nikolas recalled with a chuckle. He helped her back to the bed. "Sit tight. I'm going to go sign your discharge papers and then I'll be right back." With a quick smile, he turned and left the room. He returned a few minutes later pushing a wheelchair in front of him.

Emily rolled her eyes. "I don't need a wheelchair," she protested. "I am perfectly capable of walking out of this hospital on my own."

"I'm told it's policy," Nikolas said apologetically. "Besides, if you don't let me roll you out of here, we won't be able to use the amazing disguise I have for you," he continued with a smile.

"What disguise?" Emily asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Nikolas reached into is pocket and pulled out a pair of glasses with a ridiculous fake nose and moustache attached. Emily burst into giggles upon seeing it and agreed to the wheelchair. She continued to giggle as Nikolas pushed her out of the hospital room and into the elevator, then from the elevator to his car. Thankfully, they were able to avoid the press and were soon safe in Nikolas's car on their way back to Port Charles.

"Em, I think you can take those off now," Nikolas laughed, glancing over at her.

She smiled as she removed the glasses. "They were starting to grow on me," she said. "Right now, they look better than I do."

Nikolas looked over at her and shook his head emphatically. "No, they don't. You're still beautiful, Emily. No matter what."

"Is flattery part of your job description?" Emily asked, trying to keep the conversation light while inside she felt a flutter in the pit of her stomach at his words.

"Hey, I'm just telling the truth," Nikolas defended.

"Sure," Emily responded with a chuckle. "So, are you nervous at all about going back to Port Charles? I mean you haven't been back since you left, right?"

"I wouldn't say I'm nervous," Nikolas qualified. "It's just going to be weird being back there again, seeing how everything has changed." He glanced at her. "Which means I guess I'd better get caught up on the latest happenings in Port Charles. How are the Quartermaine's doing?"

"They're alright, relatively speaking. Grandmother died a few years ago, right after I started med school. And Grandfather died a few months later. The doctors said it was a heart attack, but I think it was a broken heart. He just couldn't live without her." Emily wiped a tear from her eye.

"I'm sorry, Em," Nikolas said sincerely. He knew how much she loved her grandmother.

"It's okay," Emily replied. "She was at peaces. Anyway, the rest of the Q's are still the same. Mom and Dad are doing fine. AJ got out of rehab, and he's been working at ELQ and doing much better. He and Jason even manage to get along, if you can imagine it. I told you Jason and Courtney are still married, and they adopted a little girl named Katie. She's adorable. I love spoiling her," Emily said with a laugh.

Nikolas smiled at the thought of Emily being an aunt. He was sure she was wonderful.

"Justus and Lainey Winters got married a couple of years ago," Emily continued, ticking her family members off on her fingers as she went. "Dillon is studying film at NYU. He and Georgie are still together and doing the long distance relationship thing because she's at Princeton. Tracy is being…Tracy. And Skye works at the Haunted Star. She and Luke have had an on and off thing for years."

Nikolas nodded. "I remember Lucky saying something g about that."

"Do you talk to him often?"

"Not as often as I would like," Nikolas admitted. "I try to call him and Alexis on a regular basis, but that doesn't always work so well."

"Lucky and Liz really wanted you at their wedding," Emily commented. "They were so sad that you were on deployment and couldn't make it. Same with Alexis when she and Ned got married."

"I know. I wish I could have been there," Nikolas said with a sigh. "I feel like I'm missing out on my family and their lives, especially Lulu. I mean, she's almost a teenager!"

"Oh yeah, and a headstrong one at that," Emily agreed with a laugh. "Lucky's got his hands full with her."

"I'm sure he does," Nikolas chuckled. "How are things at the hospital?"

"Good. I work on the Pediatrics Unit, and I love it. I love working with kids, and I love the other doctors and nurses I work with. Robin Scorpio came back to town a few years ago, and we've become good friends. She's in love with Patrick Drake, a neurosurgeon, but unfortunately he's too in love with being a player to commit." Emily shook her head. "I feel bad for her. It must be terrible to be in love with someone and have that person have absolutely no idea how you feel." She snuck a look at Nikolas, wondering if he knew she was talking about him.

For his part, Nikolas could have laughed at the truth in Emily's words. Time and distance had made his feelings for Emily become more intense, but seeing her again and spending time with her, made them almost over-powering. It was taking all of his self-control to not pull the car over and tell her how he felt, how he missed her, how he loved her. Instead, he reverted back into his "caring friend" role.

"And how have you been?" he asked, reaching out and giving her hand a gentle squeeze, unable to not touch her in some way. "Any sign of the cancer?"

"Not a trace. I've been completely healthy. I've been doing okay. I was busy with school for the longest time, and now I just work all the time. My life is very boring," she concluded with a laugh.

"Any boyfriends?" Nikolas asked casually, subconsciously holding his breath. He glanced at her.

"No," Emily replied simply. "My work doesn't leave much time for dating. I've gone on a few dates, but nothing serious. She glanced at him, almost afraid to ask. "What about you?"

Nikolas shook his head. "I'm not seeing anyone. I really don't date much at all. My work schedule isn't conducive to it."

They both let out the breaths they had been holding in, relieved that the other wasn't dating anyone, as ridiculous as those feelings were. They smiled slightly at each other before Emily turned and looked out the window. She soon fell asleep and was only awakened when Nikolas gently shook her shoulder.

"Em, we're here," he said softly.

Emily opened her eyes and stretched. "Already?" she asked sleepily.

He nodded. "Yup." He got out of the car and opened the door for her.

She smirked. "Chivalry isn't dead after all," she observed. She frowned as she looked around. "Why are we at the PCPD?"

"I need to check in and take care of a couple of things. It shouldn't take too long." He started towards the door. "Come on."

Emily felt another flutter in her stomach as his hand rested at the small of her back as they walked towards the door. They reached it, and Nikolas took a breath, mentally steeling himself as he prepared to face his past.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The Port Charles Police Department was bustling with activity when Nikolas and Emily entered. Looking around, Nikolas spotted Lucky standing at his desk talking to a very pregnant Elizabeth. He and Emily began walking towards them. Lucky was standing with his back to them, unable to see their approach. Elizabeth, however, caught sight of them, a smile coming to her face as she saw Emily. The smile was quickly replaced with a look of shock as she recognized Nikolas. "Oh my God! Nikolas?" she asked incredulously.

At her words, Lucky glanced over his shoulder, a grin splitting his face as he turned to greet his brother. "Nikolas!" he greeted him.

"Hey, Lucky," Nikolas replied as the brothers hugged. He turned to Elizabeth. "Congratulations on the baby," he added, hugging her as well.

Liz finally snapped out of her stupor and hugged him back. "It's so great to see you!" she gushed. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't believe it was you for a minute."

"I felt the same way, Liz," chimed in Emily as she gave both her friends hugs. "I woke up in the hospital and couldn't believe it when I looked over and saw him sitting there."

"What made you decide to come back?" Liz asked Nikolas.

"I'm protecting Emily," Nikolas replied simply.

"And are you back for good?" Liz continued.

Nikolas paused. "I might be," he answered. "It depends."

"Liz, stop interrogating him," Lucky interjected jokingly. He turned to Nikolas. "Come on, I want to introduce you to the detectives on the case."

Nikolas looked at Emily. "I'll be right in the other room. Don't go anywhere." He winked at her.

Emily just smiled as she watched Nikolas follow Lucky into the conference room.

Liz watched her friend with mild concern. "How're you doing, Em?" She put her hand gently on Emily's arm. "How're you feeling?"

Emily gave her friend a tired smile. "Sore. Scared." She looked back towards the door Nikolas had walked through. "But also incredibly safe."

Her friend noticed the path of Emily's gaze. "You must be glad to see him." It was a statement, not a question.

"Glad doesn't even begin to cover it," Emily said, a real smile lighting her face. "When I saw him, I was sure I was still dreaming. But it was really him, alive, in one piece…I have one of my best friends back. It's like we've only gone six hours without seeing each other instead of six years." She shook her head. "I've missed him so much."

Liz noticed a change in her friend's expression but decided not to press her, sure that Emily would confide in her soon enough. "Well, it's definitely great to see him again," Liz agreed. "Although I do wish the circumstances were better. I just can't believe Sonny would try something like that, or that he would threaten you."

"It'll be okay," Emily said, trying to give off an aura of confidence she wished she had. "It'll be okay."

Meanwhile in the conference room, Lucky was getting Nikolas up to speed on the latest happenings with the case and introducing him to the officers on the case.

"These are detectives Jesse Beaudry and Cruz Rodriguez," Lucky said, making the introductions.

Nikolas shook hands with the men. "What's new with the case?" he asked Lucky.

"Sonny was arraigned this morning in Manhattan. He was charged with federal first-degree assault, federal racketeering, bribery, and extortion. The judge ruled that he be held without bail until the trial, so he won't be able to physically make good on his threats."

"But Sonny has vast connections. Even from prison, he could get someone to try and harm Emily," Nikolas said. "What are we going to do about that?"

"Dr. Quartermaine's brother installed a pretty high-tech security system when she first moved into her apartment," Detective Beaudry replied. "We've made some additions to it, and we'll have a unit parked across the street all the time. If you combine that with you being her bodyguard, we should be all right."

Nikolas nodded. "Okay." He looked at Lucky. "Is Alexis's office still right upstairs?"

Lucky nodded. "Third door on the left."

"I'm going to go pay her a quick visit, but then I'll be back. Emily's outside talking with Liz, so she should be safe. I won't be long."

* * *

Nikolas knocked on the door of his aunt's office. "Come in," a voice beckoned from inside.

He opened the door and walked inside to find his aunt at her desk, nose buried in a pile of paperwork. "Does the District Attorney have a minute to spare for her favorite nephew?" Nikolas jokingly inquired.

Alexis immediately looked up from her paperwork. "Nikolas!" she cried, getting up and walking around her desk to hug her nephew tightly. "I've missed you so much!"

"I've missed you too," Nikolas said, returning the hug. He took a step back. "How are you?"

"I'm just fine," Alexis replied, looking him over. She gave him another quick hug. "It's so good to see you again. What brings you back to Port Charles?" she asked with a smile.

Nikolas looked serious. "I assume you heard what happened to Emily."

The smile fell from Alexis's face. "Yes, I saw the newspaper this morning. It's just terrible." She shook her head. "Sometimes I can't believe I had a child with that man." She looked back at Nikolas. "But I don't understand what this has to do with you."

"I responded to the call at Sonny's hotel room, and now I'm Emily's bodyguard," Nikolas explained.

Alexis nodded as she returned to her seat behind her desk. "I see. What can I do to help you?"

"I need a restraining order," Nikolas said. "Sonny's going to be in jail until the trial, but that doesn't mean he can't have others do his dirty work for him. I want a restraining order against anyone who works for him or is a known associate of his. I know it won't make that much of a difference if someone is intent on trying to hurt Emily, but I just want to cover all the bases."

"I agree. I'll get it filed right away," Alexis replied.

"Thank you. Listen, I have to go, but I'll talk to you later, alright?"

Alexis smiled. "That would be wonderful." Nikolas turned to leave. "Nikolas?" Alexis called, looking up from her paperwork.

"Yes?" Nikolas glanced over his shoulder.

"It really is great to have you home."

* * *

When Nikolas got back to the squad room, Emily and Liz were still chatting at Lucky's desk while Lucky filled out paperwork. Emily saw him coming, a smile lighting her face. "Where have you been?"

"I went to see Alexis," Nikolas replied. "I needed to take care of a few things for your security.

Emily nodded. "Okay. I was thinking, we should all go out for dinner tonight," she continued, turning to Lucky and Liz. "What do you think? Dinner at Kelly's?"

Lucky and Liz looked at one another. "Sure," they said simultaneously.

Emily turned to Nikolas. "What about you? Are you coming?" she teased.

Nikolas chuckled. "Of course. You're stuck with me now."

"What time do you want to meet?" Emily asked.

Lucky scratched his chin. "Well, I get out of here at six, so how about six thirty?"

"Sounds good to me," Emily responded. She turned to Nikolas. "Can we go to my apartment? I need to unpack, and I want to take another shower. The one at the hospital just wasn't enough."

"Sure," Nikolas agreed. "I can't wait to see where you live." Saying their goodbyes to Lucky and Liz, Nikolas escorted Emily out of the building, his hand naturally finding its place at the small of her back. This gesture did not go unnoticed by Lucky and Elizabeth, who each silently began to wonder if maybe their best friends didn't feel more for each other than just friendship.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Home sweet home," Emily announced as she opened the door and walked inside her apartment, Nikolas right behind her. "It's not much, but…"

"It's great, Em," Nikolas assured her. The apartment was very Emily- cream-colored walls, warm tones, and very welcoming and comfortable. He walked into the living room, taking in the hard wood floors and the vaulted ceilings. He looked out the window, noting that her apartment overlooked the park. Emily was being modest- the apartment was beautiful. "This is really nice, Em," Nikolas said sincerely. "Very you."

Emily smiled. "Thank you." She ran a hand through her hair. "I'm going to go take a shower. Make yourself at home."

"Do you want me to make lunch?" Nikolas asked.

"You cook now?" Emily asked with surprise.

Nikolas faked a look of hurt. "Well, it won't be five star gourmet, but it will be edible."

Emily laughed. "Sounds promising. I'm sure whatever you make will be wonderful." With one more smile, Emily turned and walked towards her bedroom.

Nikolas wandered into the kitchen and made his way to the refrigerator. He opened it only to be met with sparsely populated shelves. Clearly, Emily had not been grocery shopping in quite some time. About the only items in the refrigerator were eggs, cheese, ham and mushrooms. Shaking his head, Nikolas decided omelets would have to do.

As Emily exited the shower and left the bathroom, her nose was greeted by the smell of something wonderful wafting out from the kitchen. Glancing at her reflection in the mirror as she removed a shirt from her dresser drawer, Emily couldn't stop the smile that stole across her face. Nikolas Cassadine was here, in her house, in the very next room, making her lunch. It seemed almost too good to be true, but it wasn't. It was real. Still, Emily couldn't help but fear that it was all a dream, that she'd wake up and he'd be gone. It scared her, but at the same time made her more determined than ever to treasure their friendship and, if she was very lucky, make it into something more.

Once she finished dressing, Emily quickly brushed her hair before walking into the kitchen. Nikolas was setting two plates at the island and looked up as she entered. She took his breath away. He stared at her, at her beautiful body encased in blue jeans and a white button down shirt, her wavy brown hair flowing loosely around her shoulders, and silently wondered how clothing so simple could look so incredibly gorgeous on her. He finally realized that he was gaping at her and quickly thought of something to say.

"I know I promised lunch, but it kind of turned into more of a brunch," he said. "Do you realize you have practically no food?" he asked, turning back to the stove.

Emily slid into a seat. "Yeah, I'm not home much to eat," she responded, lost in thoughts of how Nikolas had been looking at her. It had almost been as if he thought she was the only woman on the planet, almost as if he…

"Em?" the sound of Nikolas's voice snapped her back to attention.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Emily asked, somewhat embarrassed that he had caught her daydreaming.

"I asked if you liked omelets," Nikolas replied, noticing the slight flush tingeing her cheeks and wondering what was the cause of it.

"If they're made by you, absolutely," Emily said playfully.

Nikolas just looked at her and smiled before setting her plate down in front of her. "There you are."

Emily dug in hungrily. "Nikolas, this is delicious," Emily complimented, taking a sip of juice.

"Well, thank you," he said as he sat down across from her. "I've come a long way from burning toast, haven't I?"

As Nikolas and Emily ate, they reminisced about old times with Lucky and Liz and talked about other random things, teasing each other and laughing, enjoying one another's friendship and the fact that they were back in each other's lives. Afterwards, Nikolas cleaned up while Emily unpacked and did her laundry, talking the entire time. Before they knew it, it was time to go meet Lucky and Liz for dinner at Kelly's.

* * *

"Auntie Emily!" the blond-haired girl yelled excitedly, throwing herself at Emily and wrapping her arms around Emily's knees.

Emily bent down and scooped the little girl up in her arms. "How's my favorite niece doing?" she asked with a kiss on the cheek.

"Auntie Emily, I'm your only niece," the child giggled.

"Well, that just makes you extra special, doesn't it?" Emily responded with a laugh. She turned to Nikolas. "Nikolas, I would like to introduce you to my niece, Katie Morgan."

Nikolas smiled at the little girl. "Hi Katie. Emily has told me so much about you. It's nice to meet you."

"Hi," Katie responded shyly, burying her head in Emily's neck.

Emily and Nikolas walked through the relatively crowded diner to where Lucky, Liz, Jason, and Courtney sat. As they approached, Courtney stood and retrieved her daughter from Emily's arms. "Sorry about that, Em," Courtney apologized. "This little munchkin was just so excited to see you," she continued, tickling her daughter.

"That's fine," Emily said with a smile. "I was excited to see her too." She turned to her brother, who had risen from his chair. "Hey, Jase," she said softly.

Her brother pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm so sorry," he told her.

Emily shook her head. "It's not your fault, Jason."

He sighed. "How are you doing?"

She smiled. "I'm okay," she responded. They released from their hug and Emily tugged Nikolas forward. "Nikolas is watching over me and taking care of me…just like old times."

Jason stepped forward and shook Nikolas's hand. "Good to see you again, Nikolas."

"Same here," Nikolas replied, returning the handshake.

"You've met my wife, Courtney, before, right?" Jason asked.

"Only briefly," Nikolas said, shaking Courtney's hand as well. He then leaned over and gave his brother a slap on the back and kissed Liz on the cheek. "Hey guys."

"Hey," Liz replied as she and Emily hugged. "We got here and saw Jason, Courtney, and Katie, and we figured we could all have dinner together."

Nikolas pulled a chair out for Emily, and then everyone sat down at the table. They made small talk until the waitress arrived to take their orders. "So Jason, what kind of work do you do now?" he asked.

"Courtney and I opened a gym together," Jason replied happily, a real smile coming to his face. "It's actually a lot of fun."

"He absolutely loves it," Emily chimed in with a smile, nudging her brother playfully. "I don't think I've ever seen him smile as much before in my life."

Nikolas smiled at Emily, at her happiness for her brother and her beautiful spirit, glad to see that she hadn't changed much over the years. She was still beautiful, both inside and out.

The group continued to talk, reminisce, and share stories all throughout their meal and well into the evening. Finally, Jason and Courtney announced that it was getting late and they needed to get Katie home and in bed. Nikolas stood and was helping Emily into her coat when he noticed two shady men getting out of a car outside of the restaurant. Something about the two men made him pause and watch them. Adrenaline flooded his body as he saw both men reach inside of their overcoats.

His instincts took over immediately as he grabbed Emily and pulled her to the floor of the now empty diner, simultaneously pulling his gun from the holster at his hip. "Gun!" he shouted to Lucky and Jason, seeing them both push their respective wives to the ground as they drew their own weapons. No sooner had Nikolas and Emily hit the ground than the air exploded with gunfire. The glass windows of Kelly's shattered and bullets collided with the wooden counter, sending splinters flying.

Nikolas did his best to shield Emily from the maelstrom of glass and wood and bullets. He pulled a table over on its side and moved Emily behind it as he returned fire. Jason and Lucky did the same. Nikolas shot one of the men in the chest, and as he fell, his accomplice quickly jumped back into the vehicle and sped off.

As soon as the car was gone, Nikolas jumped to his feet and made sure the other man was down. He then turned and knelt down next to Emily, who was sitting huddled against the back of the table. "Are you hurt?" he asked, checking her over.

"No," Emily replied shakily. Nikolas helped her to her feet and as she looked around the diner, shock began to set in. "Oh my God," she whispered, beginning to tremble.

Nikolas saw her beginning to shake and immediately wrapped his arms around her. "Hey," he said soothingly, brushing her hair away from his face. "Look at me. Look at me." Her eyes rose to meet his. "You're okay. You're safe. They're gone." Still holding her in his arms, he turned to Lucky, Liz, Jason, and Courtney, who was trying to comfort a terrified but otherwise unharmed Katie. "Are you all okay?"

Lucky nodded. "Yeah," he replied. "The cops are on the way too."

Nikolas turned back to Emily, noting that her trembling had somewhat subsided. "Are you doing better?"

Emily managed to nod. "Yeah," she said softly. She turned to Courtney and Jason who were still trying to calm their daughter. "I'm so sorry, you guys," she apologized. "This is all my fault."

Jason shook his head. "No, Emily, don't apologize. You didn't make this happen. You are not to blame."

Nikolas put a hand on Emily's shoulder. "He's right," he softly told her. "Don't you even think about feeling guilty."

Before Emily could respond, the police arrived, and the next hour was spent giving statements and reliving the terrifying events. Emily found herself sitting at the counter when Nikolas came up behind her.

"Hey," he said softly so as not to startle her. "Are you ready to go?"

Emily nodded tiredly as she eased her body off the stool. "Yes."

Nikolas noticed her fatigue and wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her. "So I was thinking, when we get back to your apartment, you just relax, okay? Get in some comfortable clothes and just unwind. I'll even let you watch any sappy chick flick you want. How does that sound?"

Emily managed a smile. "Right now, it sounds just about perfect."

* * *

Unfortunately, the plan didn't exactly work out. _Pretty Woman_ was only half over when Nikolas looked down and Emily to find her fast asleep and cuddled into his side. Smiling at how calm and peaceful she looked as she slept, not to mention how perfect she felt in his arms, he gently lifted her in his arms and carried her to her bedroom. As he settled her underneath the covers, Emily's eyes fluttered open. "Did I fall asleep?" she murmured.

Nikolas smiled and nodded. "Yeah. I told you those chick flicks would put you to sleep," he teased. He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Go back to sleep, okay? I'll see you in the morning." He went to leave the room when her voice stopped him.

"Nikolas?" He turned back to her. "Will you stay with me?" she requested softly, her eyes open and locked on his.

He walked back over to her bed and climbed in beside her. "As long as you need me to," he promised her.

Emily rolled over and allowed herself to be enveloped by his body, her head resting on his shoulder. If she had her way, Nikolas would stay with her forever. Just having him close to her made her feel safe, despite the danger she knew was out there. She sighed contentedly as his strong arms wrapped around her, basking in the heat his body produced even through his clothes. "Thank you," she said into his shoulder, her words muffled by his shirt. "Thank you for protecting me and saving my life tonight."

Nikolas tilted her head back so she was staring into his eyes. "I promise you, Emily, I will do whatever it takes to protect you and keep you safe," he said sincerely, his eyes roaming her face. "Whatever it takes."

Emily smiled and let her head drop back onto his shoulder, feeling sleep threatening to once again overcome her. "I know," she whispered.

Nikolas continued to gaze at her, marveling at her beauty, until her deep and even breathing convinced him that she was asleep. It was only then that he quietly admitted to he sleeping form, "I love you too much to do anything else."


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

When Emily woke up the following morning, she was initially very confused. For one thing, her pillow was never this warm or firm, nor did it idly stroke her hair away from her face as she slept. As the last vestiges of sleep retreated from her mind, Emily realized that her pillow was actually the skin, muscle, and bone that comprised Nikolas's shoulder, and that his hand was tracing patterns across her forehead and into her hair. Craning her neck, she looked up to see Nikolas staring right back at her, a small smile lighting his face.

"Good morning," he murmured softly, his hand never stopping in its path through her hair.

"Morning," she replied, her smile matching his own. "How long have you been watching me sleep?"

Nikolas shrugged. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "I woke up and you were still sleeping, and I didn't want to wake you up. I figured you could probably use the rest, especially after what happened last night."

Emily sighed. "Yeah. I still can't believe someone actually tried to kill me. It just seems unreal."

He nodded. "I'm sorry this is happening to you. You don't deserve to have this happen to you, to live in constant danger."

Emily surprised him with her response. "I'm not. I mean, I believe everything happens for a reason. Yes, I wish I hadn't agreed to dinner with Sonny, and I wish he hadn't hurt me and wasn't determined to get rid of me, but if that hadn't happened, you wouldn't have found me and we wouldn't be having this conversation. So if all of this means having you back, then it's worth it for me."

Nikolas simply stared at her in awe. Her ability to find the positive in any situation was astounding to him. "Always the optimist, huh?"

Emily smiled slightly. "One of the Quartermaines has to be." She propped herself up on her elbow and looked directly at Nikolas. "But seriously, Nikolas, I meant what I said. Having you here with me has made all this so much easier to deal with. When I'm with you, I feel so safe, because I know you won't let anything happen to me. I just…I can't even begin to describe the way I feel when you're around."

Nikolas continued to stare at her, everything in him yearning to tell her how he felt, to tell her he felt the same way she did. He wanted so badly to kiss her, to take her in his arms and never let her go. He had been fighting the urge to do just that ever since he had seen her mere days ago, and now his desires were threatening to overwhelm him. He had to do something about it. Gazing into Emily's eyes, he opened his mouth to confess, but before he could speak the phone began to ring.

Emily had half a mind to ignore the telephone, or better yet to yank the cord out of the wall so it couldn't interrupt her conversation with Nikolas. As Emily rolled over to grab the receiver, she couldn't help but wonder what Nikolas had been about to say.

"Hello?" she said into the receiver, thinking that whoever was on the other end better have a damn good reason for ruining the moment.

"Emily, it's Robin. I know today is your day off, and with everything that happened in Manhattan I know you could probably use the day off, but Dr. Morton didn't show up for his shift and Pediatrics is getting swamped. We need you here," came the hurried and somewhat frazzled voice of Robin Scorpio.

"Yeah, okay," Emily replied. "I'll be there in half an hour."

"I really am sorry," Robin apologized.

"It's okay, Robin," Emily assured her friend. "It's part of the job, right? I'll be there soon." She hung up the phone and turned back to Nikolas. "They need me at the hospital," she explained.

Nikolas nodded. "Okay." He started to get out of bed.

"Nikolas?" Emily asked him.

"Yes, Emily?"

"Before the phone rang, you were about to say something. What was it?"

Nikolas smiled, almost sadly, and shook his head. "Nothing. Don't worry about it." He turned and walked out of the room.

Emily watched his retreating form, mind racing. Had she gone to far in revealing her feelings? Had she scared him? Angered him? Or did she dare hope that he felt the same way she did? Deciding not to get her hopes up, Emily pushed those thoughts from her mind and went to get ready to go to work.

* * *

As Nikolas and Emily exited the elevator on the Pediatrics floor of General Hospital, Monica caught sight of her daughter and quickly headed towards her.

"Emily!" she called out with obvious relief.

Emily turned at the sound of her name, a smile lighting her face as she saw her mother. "Hey, Mom," she said as she and Monica hugged.

Monica stepped back and apprised her daughter. "I'm glad to see you, Em. I was so worried when I saw the newspaper yesterday, but you seem to be recovering nicely."

Emily nodded. "Thanks to Nikolas, I am."

For the first time Monica noticed Nikolas standing behind Emily and her eyes widened in surprise. "My goodness! Nikolas Cassadine!" she exclaimed, reaching out and hugging him, much to his surprise.

"Good to see you again, Monica," Nikolas said.

"You too, but I don't understand. What brings you back to Port Charles?"

"I'm protecting Emily," Nikolas explained. "I work for the FBI now."

"You're taking care of her?" Monica asked. When Nikolas nodded, she smiled. "Then I guess I have nothing to worry about. After all, you helped her beat the cancer and took care of her then. I know you'll do the same now."

Nikolas smiled slightly, his gaze sliding to Emily, who was looking at him. "Yes. I'll do anything to keep her safe," he said softly.

Monica noticed the way Nikolas and Emily were looking at each other, neither one able to look away, and she smiled inwardly. She had suspected all those years ago that Emily had fallen in love with Nikolas, and after spending only minutes with them today, she knew her daughter's feeling were still the same and, moreover, being reciprocated. She knew it was only a matter of time before Nikolas and Emily realized it themselves.

"Well, I'd better get back to work," Monica said, giving her daughter another hug. "It was nice seeing you again, Nikolas. I'm glad you're back in town." With one last knowing glance, Monica turned and walked away.

Nikolas and Emily headed towards the nurses station. As they walked, Emily couldn't help but glance over at Nikolas, whose eyes were constantly canvassing the room, always alert. She smiled slightly. "You're eyes never stop moving, do they?"

He looked over at her and held her gaze. Before he could stop himself, the words were out of his mouth. "Only when I'm looking at you." Nikolas could have kicked himself for putting his feelings out there in that way, but when he saw her blush and saw the tiniest of smiles tugging at the corner of her mouth, he relaxed. Maybe he hadn't messed up after all.

Emily felt a slight flush rising to her cheeks. He wasn't flirting with her…was he? She bit her lip and looked away before he noticed her blushing, or the smile that was fighting to show. Grabbing a chart, she headed off towards her patients, determined to not let her mind linger on how badly she hoped Nikolas was in fact flirting with her.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Many hours and many patients later, Emily walked towards yet another exam room, Nikolas half a step behind her, in complete protective mode. Opening the door, Emily took another glance at the chart in her hand. Mallory O'Shea was an eight-year old girl who had been brought in by her father after she took a tumble down the stairs. She complained of pain in her right arm. Emily figured it was probably broken, but the x-rays had not come back yet, and so she decided to conduct a brief exam just to make sure. She walked into the room and saw a girl as Irish as her name, with red hair, green eyes, and freckles sprinkled on her cheeks and nose.

"Hi Mallory, I'm Dr. Quartermaine," Emily said sweetly, hoping to put the little girl at ease. She knelt down in front of the girl. "Is your arm hurting?"

"Uh-huh," the girl whimpered, tears in her eyes.

"Can I see it?" Emily asked, gently taking the girl's arm in her hands. "Tell me if it hurts," she continued, lightly pressing different areas of her forearm.

"Oww!" Mallory cried. "It hurts, it hurts!"

Emily nodded sympathetically. "I know, sweetheart. But I'm going to make it better, okay?"

The little girl nodded. "Okay."

Emily perched on the edge of Mallory's bed. "How did you hurt your arm?"

Before Mallory could respond, her father spoke up. "She fell down the stairs," he interjected.

Emily ignored the man. "Is that what happened?" she asked Mallory.

"I just told you it was," her father said angrily. "She fell."

"Uh-huh. Well, I'm pretty sure you're arm is broken, Mallory, but I'm going to go check the x-rays they took down in the ER first."

"Am I going to need one of those?" Mallory asked, pointing to the brace on Emily's wrist, healing from when Sonny sprained it.

Emily smiled. "Actually, you'll get a real cast. What color do you want?"

"Green!" Mallory exclaimed. "My favorite color."

"Mine too," Emily replied. "I'll be back in a little bit."

Nikolas followed Emily out of the room. The second the door was closed, Nikolas spoke. "The father is obviously hiding something."

Emily nodded soberly. "I know. I need to see those x-rays."

* * *

"Damn it," Emily muttered as she surveyed the x-rays.

"What is it?" Nikolas asked, looking over her shoulder.

"See these?" Emily asked, indicating shadowy lines on the bone. "These are unhealed breaks in the bone. They're at least a year old. And the only way an arm could be broken like that is if someone took it and twisted the radius and ulna."

"Son of a gun," Nikolas murmured. "The father is abusing her."

Emily nodded. "Yeah."

"What do you do now?" Nikolas asked.

She sighed. "Call Family Services and the police. The x-rays are enough evidence to arrest him." She shook her head. "I'll have to tell him that we know what he's doing to her."

* * *

"Mr. O'Shea, can I speak to you outside for a moment?" Emily asked, standing in the doorway of Mallory's hospital room.

The man followed her outside to where she and Nikolas stood waiting. "Who's he?" Mr. O'Shea asked aggressively, nodding towards Nikolas.

"He's with me," Emily replied. But that's not important."

"Well, what do you want?" he asked irritably.

"It's about your daughter," Emily said. "I reviewed her x-rays, and they showed improperly healed fractures in her arm. Do you know anything about that?"

"No, I don't. She must have fallen. She really is a clumsy little girl," Mr. O'Shea said with a fake smile, trying to play it off.

Emily, however, did not smile. "You and I both know that is not what happened, Mr. O'Shea. Mallory's injuries and the fractures she sustained could only have been caused by someone intentionally grabbing her arm and twisting it."

Mr. O'Shea's face darkened and his eyes flashed. "What the hell are you accusing me of, doctor?"

"I know you hurt that little girl," Emily responded fiercely. "She didn't fall down a flight of stairs. You broke her arm. I've already called the police, and they're on their way. I just wanted you to know that you will never hurt that little girl again."

His face turned ugly and red. "You bitch!" he growled, lunging towards her. In an instant, Nikolas was in front of her. He grabbed the man and slammed him against the wall, his forearm pressing against O'Shea's throat.

"That was a mistake," Nikolas informed him, not easing his grip on the man. Hospital security soon arrived and took him away, but Nikolas's focus was solely on Emily. She stood frozen, as whites as a sheet, her eyes staring blankly ahead. "Emily?" he asked, concerned.

The sound of his voice snapped Emily out of her daze. Her eyes met his, seeing him gaze back at her with concern.

"Are you okay?" he asked, taking a step towards her.

She began to shake her head, tears welling in her eyes. "I'm sorry…" she whispered. "I need to get out of here." Turning, she began walking rapidly towards the elevators, Nikolas quickly following in pursuit.

Emily was barely inside the elevator when she felt her legs give out. Nikolas caught her as she collapsed and gently eased both of them to the floor. Her breathing was shallow and coming in short gasps, and she was shaking violently. Nikolas pulled her body into his and cradled her head against his shoulder.

"You're safe," he soothed, pressing a kiss to her temple as her hands clutched at his upper arm and shoulder. "It's okay."

"I know," Emily managed as she tried to regulate her breathing. "He just came at me and I flashed back to what happened with Sonny and I froze. I just had to get away."

"I wouldn't have let him hurt you," Nikolas whispered, stroking the hair away from the side of her face.

Emily pressed her cheek to his shoulder. "I believe you."

He cupped her face in his hands and surveyed her. Tears glistened on her cheeks and he silently brushed them away with his thumbs. Their gazes locked and held. She looked so innocent, so vulnerable, and Nikolas wanted to take her fear away. He hesitated only a moment before leaning forward and capturing her lips with his.

Emily vaguely wondered if she was dreaming as she felt his lips press against hers. But this wasn't a dream; Nikolas was really, truly kissing her. The fantasy she had harbored for years was finally a reality. She couldn't stop a small sigh from escaping her throat, nor could she stop her arms from winding around his neck and pulling him closer. Not that she really wanted to stop anyway. She opened her mouth to his and kissed him back with equal passion, moaning softly in pleasure.

Nikolas had been worried that he was over-stepping a boundary when he kissed her. Emily was recovering from an attack, and the last thing he wanted to do was force himself on her or otherwise compromise her recovery. But as she had trembled and cried in his arms, as he looked at her, all his best intentions disappeared and all he wanted to do was kiss her. So he had. And now that she was kissing him back, now that her tongue was fighting with his, Nikolas was no longer worried. Instead, he held her head in his hands and tilted his head to better fuse his lips with hers.

After what seemed like an eternity, Nikolas and Emily finally ran out of oxygen and broke the kiss. They stared at each other; the only sound their labored breathing, both trying to comprehend what had transpired. Neither knew what to say, and so said nothing. After catching her breath, Emily finally gathered enough of her wits to realize that they were in an elevator and that she was at work.

"I need to get back to my patients," she said suddenly, standing.

"Right," Nikolas agreed, also climbing to his feet.

Not a word was spoken as the elevator resumed its motion. Both Nikolas and Emily stood lost in their thoughts, knowing that that one kiss had changed everything between them, and that things would never again be the same.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Later that evening, Nikolas and Emily sat in the cafeteria of General Hospital sharing a late dinner. The rest of Emily's shift had been hectic, giving them no time to talk about what had happened between them in the elevator, although it was all either of them could think about. Now they sat across from one another in silence, stealing occasional glances at the other, both trying to figure out how to nest break the silence.

Emily's mind had been racing ever since Nikolas had kissed her. She didn't know what to think. A part of her wondered if Nikolas had kissed her merely to comfort her. After all, he'd kissed her on the forehead before, when she was a blubbering mess at the hospital, or even last night after the shooting. Maybe her lips were just a natural progression. Plus, he was her best friend. Friends kiss each other all the time. Except Nikolas had kissed her with passion, like he wanted to, almost as if…he loved her. And that was what scared Emily most of all. She had been in love with Nikolas for so long that she was afraid she was feeling things that weren't there, reading too much into the kiss. She didn't know if she could bear to express her feelings to Nikolas and not have him feel the same way. It would be like being an awkward teenager all over again; only this time, Nikolas had been the one to stick _his_ tongue down _her_ throat.

Nikolas sat across the table from her, watching as she distractedly pushed her food around her plate. Emily hadn't said a word to him, much less looked at him in the eye since they had kissed in the elevator, and Nikolas was beginning to wonder if he had made the right decision. He didn't regret kissing her; it was taking all of his self-control to not lean across the table and kiss her this instant, if only so they wouldn't be sitting in such an awkward silence. The last thing he had wanted to do was make things awkward between them. Finally, Nikolas figured that the direct approach would work as well as any.

"Emily, about what happened before…" He paused as he saw her tense.

"We really don't have to talk about it," she replied nervously, fiddling with her fork.

"I think we do," Nikolas countered. "We haven't said a word to each other since. All I want to say is that I never meant to make you uncomfortable, and if I did, I'm sorry."

Emily smiled softly. "It's ok, Nikolas. We both sort of got caught up in the moment."

He looked at her seriously. "I'm not sorry I kissed you."

She felt familiar butterflies in her stomach at his confession. "Really?" she asked, hoping she didn't sound too desperate.

He nodded. "I don't regret it. I only regret that it is causing things to be awkward between us." He looked anxious.

"I'm not sorry I kissed you back, either," Emily admitted shyly.

A look of relief spread across Nikolas's face, quickly followed by a smile. "Good, I'm glad," he said softly. The two sat there for a moment before he continued. "So, what are we going to do about it?"

Emily shrugged. "I don't know. Pretending it didn't happen doesn't seem to be working, does it?"

Nikolas chuckled. "No, it doesn't."

She smiled. "Yeah." The smile fell from her face. "I don't want you to get in trouble for kissing me."

His brow furrowed. "Why would I get in trouble?"

"You work for the FBI. You're protecting me as part of your job. Surely kissing me is a violation of some protocol or code of conduct or something."

Nikolas shook his head. "Don't worry about that, ok? I can handle my boss, not that I would need to. It's not a problem." He reached across the table and lightly touched her hand. "Besides, keeping you safe is so much more than a job to me," he confessed quietly, his gaze on her.

Emily reluctantly drew her hand away and averted her gaze from his. It wasn't that she didn't want to believe him. She wanted to so badly. But she was so afraid he was only speaking as a friend, that she was injecting too much meaning into his words. She was afraid to put her heart out there. "I just…I don't think it should happen again," she finally whispered.

Nikolas tried to hide his disappointment. "Sure," he responded. "Whatever you want. Whatever will make you comfortable."

Emily saw a look of hurt flash across his face, and she was surprised. She immediately questioned her decision to push him away. Was it possible that he had feelings for her that extended beyond the realm of friendship? She wanted to say something but before she could, Robin Scorpio walked up to the table.

"Hey Em," she said, hugging her friend. "Sorry I had to drag you into this nut house on your day off."

"It's fine, really," Emily said with a laugh.

Robin noticed Nikolas sitting across from Emily and glanced at him curiously. "Do I know you?"

Nikolas smiled. "I must admit, I'm a little disappointed that you don't recognize and old friend, Robin."

Robin gasped. "Oh my God! Nikolas Cassadine?" She hugged him quickly. 'I'm sorry I didn't recognize you. It's been a while. How are you?"

"I'm doing well," Nikolas responded. "I've been keeping busy with work."

"Are you in town for business?"

"Sort of. I work for the FBI, and I'm acting as Emily's bodyguard until the trial."

Robin's face clouded. "I never thought Sonny would do something like this. I mean yeah, he had a temper, but he was always so kind to me, especially with everything that happened with Stone."

Emily nodded sympathetically. "I guess you just never really know a person."

"Yeah," Robin agreed sadly. "Well, I gotta get going. I just wanted to see how you were doing and make sure that you were still coming to the Benefit Gala tomorrow night."

Emily's eyes widened. "Oh, I completely forgot about that!" She turned to Nikolas. "Is it okay for us to go?"

He nodded. "Of course."

Emily turned back to Robin. "We'll be there."

"Great. I'll see you then, okay?" The two women hugged again before Robin left.

"I guess I should have asked you if you wanted to go before I said we would be there," Emily said apologetically.

Nikolas smiled. "It's fine. What's the benefit for?"

"AIDS research and the Stone Case AIDS wing at General Hospital. Robin organized the entire thing with my dad. There will be food, an orchestra, a raffle I think…it should be fun."

"Sounds like a worthwhile cause," Nikolas noted. "I'll have to brush off my suit."

Emily laughed. "Promise to save a dance for me?"

Nikolas looked at her. "That's a promise I am more than happy to make."


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The following night found Nikolas standing in the living room of Emily's apartment, adjusting his tie as he waited for Emily to emerge from her bedroom. He had no idea what she was doing in there; she had disappeared quite a while ago, promising that she wouldn't take too long. But if they didn't leave soon, they would be late. He was about to call her name when the door opened and Emily walked out, and her name got caught in his throat.

She looked absolutely stunning. Her hair flowed feely down about her shoulders, and her body was sheathed in a strapless red dress that fell simply around her ankles (A/N: Think the dress she wore to Carly/Alcazar's party in 2005). The bruises Sonny had left on her body had almost completely faded, and the few left on her face were barely visible. She had completely captivated him, and he was finding it difficult to breathe.

Emily noticed Nikolas staring at her and smiled self-consciously. "What?" she asked nervously.

He finally found his voice and cleared his throat. "You look…you look beautiful, Emily."

Emily felt herself blushing. The way he was looking at her, it was hard not to. "Thank you," she replied softly. "I've just got to grab my jacket and then we can go."

Nikolas watched as she turned and walked down the hall, then closed his eyes and sighed. How in the world was he going to control himself around her tonight if she looked so gorgeous? He could barely take his eyes off her- he didn't know how long he could last until he grabbed her and kissed her. He opened his eyes when he heard Emily coming back down the hall.

"Okay, I'm ready," Emily announced as she walked into the living room. "Ready to go?"

Nikolas smiled. "Yes," he replied, his hand resting on her back as he escorted her from the apartment.

* * *

The Metro Court was already filling with guests when Nikolas and Emily arrived. They took the elevator up to the restaurant where the Gala was being held. After greeting her parents, Nikolas and Emily made their way through the mingling guests, exchanging pleasantries with those they knew. Robin came over to say hello, as did Justus and Lainey Ward. Even Luke managed to be polite to Nikolas when he and Skye stopped to talk to Emily. Bobbie approached them next.

"I heard you were back in town, but I didn't believe it until I saw you!" Bobbie exclaimed happily as she hugged Nikolas. "Laura would be so happy you came home."

"Thanks, Bobbie," Nikolas responded with a smile. "It's great to see you too."

"You remember Mike Corbin, right?" Bobbie continued, introducing her date. She and Mike had been an item for years now.

"Yeah, you own Kelly's. I'm sorry about what happened the other night," Nikolas apologized, shaking his hand.

Mike shook his head. "Not as sorry as I am that it happened." He looked at Emily. "I'm so sorry, Emily. I can't believe my boy would do that to you, and I just want to apologize."

Emily smiled graciously. "You have nothing to apologize for, Mike." She glanced around the room. "Are Courtney and Jason here?"

"No, Katie wasn't feeling well, so they decided to stay home and take care of her. Besides, you know Jason. He'd use any excuse to get out of wearing a suit."

Emily laughed. "That's true."

"Lucky and Liz are over at that table with Alexis and Ned," Bobbie added with a smile. "I believe you're sitting with them."

Nikolas put his hand on the small of Emily's back as they crossed the restaurant to where Lucky, Liz, Alexis, and Ned sat. Alexis stood as they approached and hugged them both. "Emily, you look beautiful," she complimented. "And you, my handsome nephew, look positively dashing," she added, smiling.

Ned hugged Emily as well. "Hey, sweetheart."

"Hi, Ned," Emily responded warmly.

The two men shook hands. "Good to see you again," Nikolas said.

"Glad to see you back in one piece," Ned replied.

The Four Musketeers then greeted each other before everyone sat down for a delicious meal. Throughout the meal, Nikolas and Emily snuck long, sideways glances at one another, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by Lucky or Elizabeth, who smiled at each other knowingly. After dinner, when Ned and Alexis went to go talk to the Quartermaine's, Elizabeth and Emily excused themselves to go to the ladies' room, leaving Lucky and Nikolas alone at the table.

Lucky didn't waste any time. "So, what's going on between you and Emily?" he asked the moment the girls were out of earshot.

Nikolas didn't even pretend to not know what Lucky was talking about. He merely shook his head and sighed. "I wish I knew."

"Well, has anything, you know, happened?" Lucky pressed.

"I kissed her yesterday at the hospital, but later she said that she didn't think it should happen again because she didn't want me to get in trouble with work."

"Did you tell her you are in love with her?" Lucky asked bluntly.

Nikolas looked at Lucky. "How do you know I love Emily?"

"Please," Lucky scoffed. "It's obvious from the way you look at her. Heck, even a blind man could tell just by the electricity crackling between the two of you ever since you got home. Besides, you've loved Emily since you helped her through the cancer, and don't even try to deny it." He looked at Nikolas knowingly. "So, did you tell her?"

"No," Nikolas answered. "I mean, I've hinted at it, but I don't know how to tell her."

"Nik, it doesn't matter how you tell her. Just do it. And if you're nervous, don't be, because I'm pretty sure Emily feels the same way."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Emily was facing the same interrogation from Elizabeth.

"What's the deal with you and Nikolas?" Liz asked as she touched up her makeup.

"Nothing is going on with me and Nikolas," Emily responded, not looking at Liz.

"Yeah, and the Pope's not Catholic," Liz quipped. "Emily…" she said in that I'm-your-best-friend-so-spill voice, "I've seen the way you look at him. There's more going on than just casual friendship."

Emily couldn't stop the smile that crept onto her face. "Well, we kissed the other day in the elevator at GH…"

"Em!" Liz squealed excitedly.

"But nothing else happened," Emily finished. "I pushed him away," she admitted sadly.

"Why? You've loved Nikolas for years, I know you have."

"I know, and I still do. I love him. But what if I tell him, and he doesn't feel the same? What if he doesn't love me back?"

Liz put her hand on Emily's shoulder. "Then at least you know. Not telling him is just going to make things worse for both of you." She smiled and leaned towards Emily conspiratorially. "But, if you want my opinion, I don't think you have anything to worry about. Nikolas loves you. Tell him- before it's too late."


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

When Emily and Elizabeth returned to the table, Nikolas and Lucky were sitting, talking and joking. Nikolas stood as they approached.

"Sorry we took so long," Emily joked. "Liz barely made it out of the bathroom before she had to go back in."

"Hey, blame it on the baby," Liz defended. "It's going to pop out any day now."

Nikolas and Lucky laughed as Liz sat down next to her husband. Nikolas turned back to Emily. "How about that dance I promised you?"

She flashed him a radiant smile. "I'd love to."

He led her out onto the dance floor and gently took her in his arms. Emily closed her eyes as she rested her head against Nikolas's shoulder, sighing quietly. It felt so right to be in his arms like this, and she just wanted to enjoy the moment, the feeling. Smiling to herself, she slipped her arms around his neck and snuggled closer.

Nikolas closed his eyes as Emily's hair brushed against his neck. He silently inhaled the intoxicating scent of her shampoo and ever so slightly tightened his arms around her waist. She belonged here, in his arms. Forever. He knew he had to tell her how he felt, how he loved her. He just had to figure out how. For now, it was enough to hold her, and he was content in that.

The pair continued to dance, lost in one another and oblivious to the world around them. After a while, Emily lifted her head off Nikolas's shoulder and gazed at him. "Remember, back when I was fighting the cancer and undergoing chemo, when I spent the night at Wyndemere?"

"You mean the time you fell asleep on me and trapped me there for the entire night?" Nikolas teased.

Emily smiled. "Yeah. We talked about the Bacchanalia, and I told you that when we danced, it felt like I was flying."

"I remember," Nikolas replied softly.

She said nothing, once again resting her head on his shoulder. "It still feels that way," she murmured after a moment.

Nothing more was said as they continued to sway to the music, both slowly being consumed by their feelings, by their memories of that night and the night they had said goodbye. Finally Emily could no longer bear the emotions threatening to swamp her. She pulled away from Nikolas.

"I need some fresh air," she said, almost desperately. She made her way towards the double doors that led out onto a balcony. Nikolas followed her and stared at her bare back as she gazed out across the distance. He knew she was trying to compose herself and so he remained silent, waiting for her to speak.

"Remember when you had a crush on Robin?" she asked suddenly, still facing the railing of the balcony.

Although surprised by the question, Nikolas took it in stride. Something was bothering Emily, and he decided to let her work through it. Laughing softly, Nikolas began walking towards the balcony railing. "Yes, but for the record, it wasn't a crush. She was the 'object of my affection.' It's much more sophisticated that way." Pausing, he decided it was time to turn the tables on her. "Remember when you attacked me in the park and stuck your tongue down my throat?"

At his question, Emily spun around, only to find him standing right behind her. He was so close she could feel the heat radiating off of his body. Or perhaps the heat was coming from her face, which she was positive had to be flaming red with embarrassment. Unable to look him in the eyes, she instead focused on the lapel of his suit jacket as she spoke. "What- I can't believe you brought that up!" she exclaimed, blushing furiously. "What made you think of that?"

He smiled. "Well since you decided to bring up my youthful crush, it seemed only fair that I return the favor."

Her eyes met his for a split second before she once again averted her gaze to his lapel. "I had such a crush on you," she admitted, cheeks still red.

"I honestly had no idea. I wish you had told me. Why didn't you?" Nikolas asked curiously.

"I wanted to," Emily replied honestly. "But…I was afraid. I was afraid you didn't feel the same way…that you would reject me."

"I wouldn't," Nikolas whispered. Their eyes locked, and both knew they were no longer talking about the past but about the present, about their feelings at this very instant. Emily couldn't hold his gaze and looked away. She started to turn, but Nikolas's right hand reached out and took her by the elbow, turning her back to him.

"Emily…" he began, but found that words failed him as he looked at her. Instead, he tried to communicate his feelings in another way. Slipping his right arm around her waist, Nikolas pulled Emily to him and kissed her, his other hand cupping the back of her head.

She didn't even try to resist him. She melted. Truthfully, she wanted this just as much as he did. She opened her mouth to his, allowing him access which he seized with a passion. Their tongues fought for control as they kissed hungrily, almost desperately. Emily's arms wrapped around his neck, pulling Nikolas closer as he continued his assault on her mouth.

Finally, Emily tore her mouth from his with a moan. "We can't do this here," she whispered breathlessly, even as she tilted her head back to allow Nikolas's lips to trail down her jaw line to her neck. "We can't."

"Yes, we can," Nikolas argued as he lips skimmed the pulse at the base of her throat.

Emily sighed. If Nikolas kept this up, she'd be a puddle at his feet in no time. She was already liable to faint at any moment the way he was making her feel. She could barely control her body's response to him. She forced herself to draw away. "Not here," she repeated softly. "We can't do this here. People could see us. You could get in trouble," she said, trying to be rational.

Nikolas smiled. "I don't care," he whispered, drawing her back towards him. "I don't care who sees." He kissed her again, softer but with just as much passion, his arms sliding around her waist and pulling her to him tightly. He wanted her so badly he ached for her, but she was right. This was not the place. Pulling away, he gazed down at her. "Do you want to leave?"

She nodded, unable to speak. They went back inside and their goodbyes. Lucky and Elizabeth winked at one another as they watched their friends depart. Nikolas and Emily quickly made their way out of the restaurant and towards the parking lot, her hand discreetly slipping into his. As they entered the parking lot, Nikolas removed the key from his pocket and glanced over at Emily as he hit the unlock button on the remote. Her face was the last thing he saw before the car exploded in a ball of flames, knocking Nikolas and Emily backwards and sending them both into a world of darkness.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

_Head throbbing, vision hazy, Emily slowly opened her eyes. Her ears were ringing, and the scent of smoke filled the air. She sat up slowly, wincing as she gingerly touched the lump forming at the back of her skull. She closed her eyes, trying to remember what had happened. There had been a bright light, then a loud noise as the car had exploded, being thrown backwards, and Nikolas…. Her eyes snapped open. Nikolas. Turning her head, she saw him lying on his back a few feet away, unmoving._

"_Nikolas!" she called out, scrambling towards him. She began checking him over frantically. He wasn't responding. It was then that Emily saw the puddle of red under his head. "Oh God…" she whispered, becoming more and more terrified. He wasn't breathing. "Please, God, no. Please," she cried, tears streaming down her face. "Nikolas!" She looked around. "Somebody help me! Help!" But nobody was there. She looked back at Nikolas. "Please wake up," she begged him. "Please don't leave me, Nikolas." She was sobbing. "Nikolas!" she screamed, his name turning her throat raw, ripping itself violently from her. "Nikolas!"_

"Emily!" A voice called out to her. "Emily, wake up. You're having a nightmare, Em. Come back, baby."

She jerked awake, eyes flying open, tears streaming down her face just as they had in her dream. Nikolas was sitting on the edge of her bed, gazing down at her with concern etched onto his face. "It's okay, baby. It wasn't real. I'm right here," he soothed.

With a cry of relief, Emily bolted into a sitting position and threw her arms around Nikolas, pulling him close. His arms wrapped around her without hesitation, holding her tightly. Nikolas held her head against his shoulder as she cried, feeling the tension and terror in her body as she sobbed in his arms.

"What happened?" he murmured into her hair. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Dream…explosion…blood…not moving…couldn't wake you," Emily cried disjointedly into his shoulder. "So scared."

Nikolas sighed. He knew she was talking about what had happened earlier that evening. He had awoken after the explosion to find Emily leaning over him with worry. Then it had been hours of answering questions, giving statements, and being evaluated by the paramedics. When they had finally made it back to her apartment, Emily had been so exhausted that she fell asleep almost instantly. Now her fear was catching up with her.

"Shh," he whispered, stroking her hair. "I'm okay. We both are. Don't be scared."

Emily sniffed and lifted her head off his shoulder, revealing eyes red and puffy from crying, still filled with tears. Nikolas felt his heart clench as he saw the pain in her eyes. He never wanted her to feel scared or in pain again. Tenderly, he reached out and brushed some tears from her cheeks.

"I wasn't afraid for myself," Emily whispered softly, her eyes rising to meet his. "I was scared because you were just lying there, and there was a moment when I thought you were dead." Nikolas opened his mouth to speak, but Emily continued, her eyes dropping from his. "And that terrified me, because you would have died never knowing that I love you." She looked at him again, her eyes locked on his. "Because I do. I love you so much, Nikolas," she confessed. "You may not feel the same way, and that's okay, but I need you to know beca-"

Her explanation was cut short as Nikolas silenced her with a deep, passionate kiss. When he finally drew away, Nikolas stared at her intently. "I love you too."

"Really?" Emily asked, a smile crossing her face.

Nikolas nodded seriously. "God, I love you," he said reverently.

Emily could not believe the feelings of ecstasy coursing through her body knowing that her love was met and returned. She had told Nikolas she loved him, and now she wanted to show him how much. Slipping her hand up to the back of his neck, she drew him closer until her lips met his. The kiss soon became insistent, and Emily leaned backwards, drawing his body down on top of hers as her fingers speared through his hair.

Nikolas pulled back. "Are you sure?" he panted, his eyes dark with desire as he looked at her.

She stared up at him, the desire in her eyes matching his. "Yes. I've never been surer of anything in my life. I love you, Nikolas. Make love to me. Please." She leaned up to kiss him.

_**Something in your eyes, makes me want to lose myself  
Makes me want to lose myself, in your arms  
There's something in your voice, makes my heart beat fast  
Hope this feeling lasts, the rest of my life**_

Nikolas struggled to maintain his control as his lips and tongue tangled with Emily's. His hands slid up and down her bare arms before moving into her soft hair. He was determined to make this perfect for both of them. Breaking the kiss, he gently brushed his lips across her forehead and cheekbones before moving to her neck.

_**If you knew how lonely my life has been  
And how long I've been so alone  
And if you knew how I wanted someone to come along  
And change my life the way you've done**_

Emily sighed as his lips traced a path across her face and down to her jaw and neck. It felt so good, so right, to be with Nikolas like this. To be loved like this. Her hands moved restlessly against his back, wanting the shirt that separated her hands from his skin to disappear. Impatiently, she ran her hands under the hem of his shirt and tugged.

_**It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me  
It feels like I'm all the way back where I come from  
It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me  
It feels like I'm all the way back where I belong**_

Nikolas paused his ministrations only long enough to help Emily remove his shirt before his lips returned to her neck. As his mouth moved down her neck and across her collarbone, kissing the exposed portion of her chest, Emily ran her hands over the rippling muscles of his abdomen and arms, marveling in the strength she found there. He was so strong, and yet with her he was so gentle. She loved him so much. She didn't realize she was crying until Nikolas pulled back to look at her.

"Baby, what's wrong?" he whispered tenderly, wiping the tears from her face. "Why are you crying? Did I do something wrong? Do you want me to stop?"

Emily shook her head, unable to express her feelings in words. "Nothing's wrong. Please don't stop."

_**A window breaks, down a long, dark street  
And a siren wails in the night  
But I'm alright, 'cause I have you here with me  
And I can almost see, through the dark there is light**_

Nikolas smiled softly before leaning down and touching his lips to hers. His fingers tucked under the hem of her camisole and he gently pulled it upwards, revealing her midriff. He layered kisses across her toned stomach, tickling her navel with his tongue. Lifting his head, he slid his hands under the fabric and moved it further up her body. Emily raised her arms above her head and in moments her camisole was gone.

**_Well, if you knew how much this moment means to me  
And how long I've waited for your touch  
And if you knew how happy you are making me  
I never thought that I'd love anyone so much_  
**

"You're so beautiful," Nikolas whispered, his eyes and hands caressing the curves of her body, in awe of how perfect she was.

"So are you," Emily replied, drawing his head down to hers for another burning kiss, moaning at the contact. They continued to kiss and soon their sweatpants and underwear were discarded. When they finally became one, Emily cried out while Nikolas's hands clenched in her hair. He tried to maintain his control but found it impossible. Emily's body met his stroke for stroke, and together they rode out the wave of pleasure.

**  
_It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me  
It feels like I'm all the way the back where I come from  
It feels like home to me, it feels like home to me  
It feels like I'm all the way back where I belong  
It feels like I'm all the way back where I belong_  
**

Nikolas rolled onto his back and pulled Emily into his side, spooning her against him. He had never felt more content or complete in his life than he did at that very moment, and he silently wondered how he had survived so long without her. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he whispered, "I love you."

Emily smiled into his chest and snuggled closer to him. Being with Nikolas had been better than anything she had ever dreamed of, and she had dreamed of it a lot. She knew Nikolas had claimed her heart, and she didn't ever want to take it back. She looked at him lovingly. "That was…" she trailed off, falling asleep in his warm, strong embrace.

Nikolas smiled as he watched her start to drift off to sleep. "Yeah," he responded softly. "For me too."

Song credit: "Feels Like Home" by Chantal Kreviazuk


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

A violent clap of thunder jolted Emily awake the next morning. As she lay there, feeling Nikolas's arm draped around her waist, memories of the night before returned. A feeling of warmth rushed through her body and a smile rose to her face. Turning in his embrace, she looked at him, silently admiring the beauty of his face, the strong jaw and perfectly sculpted lips. Presently, Nikolas cracked one eye open, looking at her slyly.

"Good morning, beautiful. See something you like?" he teased.

"As a matter of fact, I do," Emily responded playfully.

"Glad to hear it," Nikolas murmured, leaning down to kiss her slowly and sweetly. "Did the thunder wake you?"

"Mm-hmm," Emily sighed, snuggling against his hard chest. "It's really coming down out there."

"Yeah," Nikolas agreed, wrapping his arms around her and squeezing her lightly against him. "All the more reason for us to not do anything today." He gently kissed her neck. "What do you say to spending all day right here?"

Emily smiled against his chest. "Sounds perfect." She tilted her head back to look at him. "I love you," she said quietly, becoming serious.

Nikolas lightly brushed the tip of her nose with his finger. "I love you, too." He sighed. "A part of me still can't believe this is real."

"I know. I woke up this morning thinking last night had been nothing more than an incredible dream. But it was real."

"Yes, it was," Nikolas replied, kissing her again. Pulling back, he gazed at her beautiful face. "So, you've dreamed about us before?"

Emily giggled. "Yes," she admitted. "A lot. But reality is so much better than the fantasy." She looked at him curiously. "Have you?"

"Absolutely," Nikolas responded without hesitation. "I've wanted and waited for this for years, since before I left for the Marines. I was so afraid you would never feel the same way about me, that you wouldn't love me the way I love you."

"You mean you really fell in love with me when I asked you to help me hide my cancer from Zander?"

Nikolas nodded. "It may have started out as a pretend romance, but it became real for me. I fell in love with you, Emily, and I never stopped, and I never will." He leaned in and kissed her passionately.

When he drew away, Emily looked at him in surprise. "I didn't know you felt the same way I did…why didn't you say something?"

"I wanted to, that day I dropped you off at the airport," Nikolas admitted.

"So why didn't you?" Emily asked, combing his hair with her fingers.

"Because you had all these dreams and plans for the future," Nikolas told her, lightly running his hand up and down her back. "You were so ready to go back to school and become a doctor. I didn't want to get in the way of you achieving your dream. Besides, I had just lost the family business. I couldn't have offered you the kind of life you deserved."

Emily shook her head emphatically. "That's not true! I didn't care if you were rich or not. I still don't. I was and am in love with you for who you are inside. That's all that matters to me." She caressed his cheek with her hand. "Okay?"

"Okay," Nikolas said simply, giving her another quick kiss. "I'm just so thankful that we're together now. I love you, and I should have told you sooner. But now that I have, now that I have you, I'm never going to let you go, I promise."

_**It ticks just like a Timex  
It never lets up on you  
Who said life was easy  
The job is never through  
It'll run us 'til we're ragged  
It'll harden our hearts  
And love could use a day of rest  
Before we both start falling apart**_

"I feel the same way," Emily breathed as Nikolas's lips enveloped hers in a deep kiss. He rolled on top of her, lips never breaking contact. They kissed slowly, neither in a hurry. Emily's arms wrapped around his neck and her fingers ran through his hair. She tilted her head back to allow Nikolas better access as his lips burned a path down her neck and across her collarbone.

_**I Pray that it's raining on Sunday  
Stormin' like crazy  
We'll hide under the covers all afternoon  
Baby whatever comes Monday  
Can take care of itself  
'Cause we've got better things that we can do  
When it's raining on Sunday**_

"I love you so much," he whispered, punctuating his words with another passionate kiss. His tongue tangled with hers, eliciting moans from both of them. Their hands caressed each other's bodies, leaving no part unloved. Emily's hand traced the lines of the muscles on his back and chest, teasing him, her other hand remaining on his neck. Nikolas finally captured her wandering hand and held it above her head, pinning it against the pillow as he lavished kisses on her lips.

_**Your love is like religion  
A cross in Mexico  
And your kiss is like the innocence  
Of a prayer nailed to a door  
Oh surrender is much sweeter  
When we both let it go  
Let the water wash our bodies clean  
And love wash our souls**_

They drew away for a moment to catch their breath. Nikolas's eyes remained locked on her face, taking in every inch of it. Her lips were swollen, her hair was tousled, her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were hazy with passion. Nikolas thought she had never looked more beautiful. "I love you," he confessed again, his mouth hovering inches from hers.

_**And pray that it's raining on Sunday  
Stormin' like crazy  
And we'll hide under the covers all afternoon  
And baby whatever comes Monday  
Can take care of itself  
'Cause we've got better things that we can do  
When it's raining on Sunday  
Ooh, oh oh**_

"I love you," Emily whimpered in reply, bringing her mouth up to his for an achingly sweet and tender kiss. Moments later, the lovers became one and Emily wrapped her legs around him. Nikolas thrust into her slowly at first, but their pace soon quickened, neither one unable to control their passion. They climaxed together, both moaning in pleasurable release.

_**I Pray that it's raining on Sunday  
Stormin' like crazy  
We'll hide under the covers all afternoon  
And baby whatever comes Monday  
Can take care of itself  
'Cause we've got better things that we can do  
When it's raining on Sunday**_

Nikolas curled onto his side and took Emily in his arms, cradling her in his embrace as he kissed her neck and shoulders. They lay in silence, basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking. The ringing of the telephone interrupted their bliss, and Emily reluctantly rolled away from Nikolas to answer the offending device.

"Hello?" she answered on a contented sigh, feeling Nikolas slip his arms around her and press a gentle kiss to her shoulder blade.

"You barely escaped last night," a harsh voice whispered across the line. "Next time, you won't be so fortunate. You're as good as dead, and so is your boyfriend."

"Who is this?" Emily demanded, but her only reply was the blaring dial tone. Shaken, she hung up the phone.

Nikolas turned her back towards him, concerned. "Em?" he asked, seeing her pale face and frightened expression. "Honey, who was it?"

She looked at him, fear and worry in her eyes. "I don't know," she said. "I didn't recognize the voice. Whoever it was whispered. But he…he said I got lucky last night and that next time I wouldn't escape. He said I'm as good as dead…and that you are, too."

He held her trembling body in his arms and rocked her gently, burying his face in her hair. "I won't let anything happen to you," he vowed. "I'll die before I allow anyone to hurt you."

Emily pulled back, tears sparkling in her eyes. "Don't you see?" she cried. "That's part of the problem! They want to kill you, too. I can't let that happen." She looked away. "Maybe you shouldn't do this anymore. Go back to Manhattan. I'll find someone else to watch over me. You need to get away from me before they…" she couldn't speak through her tears. "Before they kill you."

Nikolas took her face in his hands. It was killing him to see her hurting, but he needed to make his position clear. "Emily, I'm not going anywhere. I love you, and I will do absolutely anything to make sure that Sonny Corinthos or any of his men never lay a hand on you. I am not going to abandon you."

"I couldn't stand it if anything happened to you, Nikolas," Emily sobbed. "I couldn't live with myself if they hurt you because of me."

He kissed her tears away. "Baby, I feel the same way. That's why I can't walk away."

"But what if-"

"No what ifs," Nikolas interrupted. "I will _never_ leave you." He kissed her for emphasis. "Okay?"

"Okay," Emily whispered, collapsing against his chest. His strong arms wrapped around her, keeping her close as she cried. Nikolas kissed the top of her head and whispered words of assurance to her. She tilted her head up, her lips blindly searching for his. He responded immediately, wanting to prove to her through his kiss that he meant what he said.

The telephone rang again, disrupting the moment. Nikolas felt Emily tense in his arms, but he gave her a reassuring nod. "Answer it."

"Hello?" Emily said hesitantly into the receiver, her eyes locked on Nikolas. In an instant, her face transformed, a smile coming to her face, the fear disappearing. "Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed. "That's wonderful! We'll be there as soon as we can!"

She hung up and turned to Nikolas, who was watching her with expectant eyes. "That was Lucky," she announced with a grin. "He and Liz are parents."

Song credit: "Raining on Sunday" by Keith Urban


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"Liz, he's beautiful," Emily gushed. She and Nikolas were standing at Liz's hospital bedside, admiring the newest addition to the Spencer clan.

"Isn't he?" Liz asked, even though she already knew her answer.

"Have you guys picked out a name for this little guy yet?" Nikolas inquired, looking up at his brother, who was standing on the other side of the bed.

"We have," Lucky informed him, pride filling his voice. "Nikolas, Emily, I would like to formally introduce you to Eric Martin Spencer."

Emily smiled down at the little boy. "What a beautiful name," she complimented. "I'm so happy for you both."

"Me too," Nikolas agreed. "Congratulations." He and Lucky shook hands. "Mom would be so proud of you."

Lucky smiled a bittersweet smile. "I know she would be thrilled to finally be a grandmother." He looked at Elizabeth. "Do you want to ask them, or should I?"

Elizabeth smiled back at him. "You can do it."

Lucky turned back to Nikolas and Emily. "We've all been friends since we were teenagers. We're family. We're the Four Musketeers." Nikolas and Emily simply nodded, unsure of what Lucky was trying to say. "That's why," Lucky continued, "Elizabeth and I would like to ask you to be Eric's godparents. What do you say?"

"Of course!" Emily exclaimed. "I would be honored to be Eric's godmother."

Nikolas nodded in agreement. "I'd be honored."

"Thank you so much, you guys," Liz said. "It really makes Lucky and I feel better knowing you two will be around to help raise Eric, if need be." She threw a sideways glance at Nikolas. "And you _will_ be around, right?"

He grinned. "Yes, Liz, I'm sticking around." He glanced at Emily, who smiled at him.

Liz caught the gesture immediately, her eyes lighting up in realization. "Is there any particular reason you've decided to stay, Nikolas?" she asked coyly, a knowing smile forming on her face.

Nikolas glanced at Emily again, who just smiled and shrugged. "Actually," Nikolas began, slipping an arm around Emily's waist, "there is. Emily and I are together."

Liz squealed in delight and Lucky grinned at his brother and slapped him on the back. "Took you long enough," he joked good-naturedly.

Emily gave Lucky an accusatory stare. "You knew?"

Liz laughed. "Please, Em. Anybody with eyes can see you and Nikolas love each other. Lucky and I just helped speed the process along."

Emily tried to look angry, but soon broke into laughter of her own. "Well, for your information, it worked. Your advice and then nearly getting blown up were just what I needed to tell Nikolas how I felt."

"Well, we're both very happy for you," Lucky said.

"Yes," Liz added. "The Four Musketeers as we were always meant to be."

"All for one and one for all," Emily chimed in, while Nikolas merely rolled his eyes jokingly and pulled her into his side.

"Speaking of nearly being blown up," Lucky said, changing the topic, "are you two okay? Nobody was allowed out of the hotel after the explosion, so I didn't know what happened."

Emily nodded. "We're okay. I have a bump on the back of my head and some bruises, but other than that I'm fine."

"There was a bomb under the car," Nikolas elaborated. "It exploded when I used the remote starter to unlock the car."

"Oh my gosh," Liz exclaimed softly. "You both could have been killed."

"I know, and it does scare me a little," Emily admitted. "But I also know that I have people watching out for me, especially Nikolas, and that comforts me."

"The PCPD is putting their best people on this," Lucky promised. "Between us and Nikolas, you will be safe, Em."

"Thanks, Lucky," Emily said. She looked down at Liz, who was holding a still sleeping Eric. "We're going to get going so you guys can have some family time with your son, but we'll be back later, okay?" She leaned down to hug Liz and kiss Eric on the forehead. "Bye."

Nikolas and Emily said the rest of their goodbyes and left the proud parents with their son. Emily smiled happily as she and Nikolas walked down the hall. "They're so excited, aren't they? You can just see how thrilled they are to be parents." She glanced at Nikolas. "Are you excited about being an uncle and a godfather?"

Nikolas nodded. "Sure. I'll get to be the cool, mildly neurotic and overprotective uncle."

Emily laughed. "So what does that make me?" she asked as she and Nikolas waited for the elevator.

Nikolas smiled. "The amazing godmother who's going to spoil that kid as badly as you spoil your niece."

She rolled her eyes and walked into the elevator. "So basically, you're saying I'm a pushover who's going to turn her niece and nephew into brats. Thanks, Nikolas."

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with being a little spoiled," Nikolas defended. "I should know." He leaned against the side of the elevator.

"I guess you didn't turn out so bad," Emily allowed, looking at Nikolas and smiling. "So, what do you want to do now?"

"I'm hungry," Nikolas announced. "I burned a lot of energy last night and this morning." He pushed off the wall of the elevator and moved towards Emily, wrapping his arms around her waist and drawing her to him.

Emily blushed slightly. "We could go to Eli's and get ribs," she suggested, sighing quietly as Nikolas kissed the side of her neck.

"Okay," Nikolas responded quietly, his lips moving to hers. "But only if there's dessert afterwards," he murmured, capturing her mouth in a scorching kiss. Emily's hands were flat against his chest, but they soon slid up is body and around his neck as she leaned into his kiss. Keeping one hand pressed against the small of her back, Nikolas used his other hand to cup the back of her neck, his fingers playing with the curls they found there. They continued to kiss passionately until Nikolas's cell phone began beeping.

"You better answer that," Emily said playfully, lightly kissing his jaw. "It could be important."

"Not as important as this," Nikolas countered with another kiss, even as he fished his cell phone out of the pocket of his jeans, removing his arms from around Emily.

Emily smiled as he answered the phone. "Nikolas Cassadine," he said, his gaze locked on her. Immediately, Emily saw his brown furrow and his eyes darken as he listened to whoever was on the other end of the phone. "What?" he exclaimed. "When?" He looked at Emily. "I'll be right there." He hung up, his expression grim.

"What is it?" Emily asked, feeling her stomach start to churn, knowing the news couldn't be good.

"Sonny escaped from prison."


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"Sonny escaped from prison." As soon as the words were out of Nikolas's mouth, Emily could feel the blood draining from her face. This could not be happening.

"How?" she whispered, her mind still struggling to process that the man who wanted her dead was now on the loose.

Nikolas sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I don't know. I told them we were on our way to the police station. Hopefully we'll get more information there." He looked at Emily, whose eyes and expression were blank. "Hey," he said softly, reaching out and grasping her shoulders in his hands. "Come here." He drew her to him, tightening his arms around her body. "It'll be okay," he promised, pressing her head to his chest. "We'll get through this. Nothing Sonny can do will ever tear us apart. I will not let him hurt you." His voice shook with sincerity. "I promise."

Emily looked up at him, the barest trace of a smile on her lips. "I believe you," she assured him, leaning up to gently kiss him. Nikolas held her face to his; quietly gazing into her eyes, communicating without words that everything would be okay. They remained that way until the elevator doors opened and they headed towards the PCPD.

* * *

"What have you found out?" Nikolas asked Detective Beaudry as he and Emily entered the PCPD.

"He was reported missing an hour ago," Jesse replied as he led Nikolas and Emily over to his desk, picking up the report and handing it to Nikolas, who scanned it intently.

"How did he escape?" Nikolas continued, looking back at Jesse.

The young detective sighed. "Sonny was being moved to a more secure facility to await his trial. Apparently, he was able to get word to his men, and he instructed them to ambush the van transporting him. They killed the four guards who were moving Sonny and then escaped in another vehicle. So far we haven't been able to find any witnesses, so we have no idea what direction they went, or even what kind of car they were driving."

Nikolas ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. "Ok, thanks. Keep me posted if you find out anything else."

Jesse nodded. "Yes, sir." He sat down at his desk and began searching through some reports.

Nikolas gently took Emily by the elbow and steered her to a corner of the station. "Are you okay?" he inquired quietly, his hand still resting on her arm. "How are you holding up?"

Emily shrugged and offered him a wan smile. "I'm all right. I just can't believe that he escaped, that he's out there…" she got emotional just thinking about it.

He nodded sympathetically. "I know. We'll have to be even more careful from now on until we catch him. Sonny's proven that he is not above murder to get what he wants."

"I know…those poor prison guards. He killed them just so he could get to me…"

Nikolas shook his head as he tucked a strand of hair behind Emily's ear. "Hey, look at me. This is not your fault. Sonny, and only Sonny, is responsible for killing those men."

Emily managed another weak smile. "I guess it's just my guilty conscience getting the better of me."

Nikolas smiled. "Well, maybe I can do something to help ease your mind," he murmured seductively, leaning in to kiss her.

Emily, however, drew away. "Nikolas! We are at the police station. What if someone sees us?" she whispered. "I told you, I don't want you getting in trouble because of me…of us."

Nikolas simply shook his head and cupped her face in his hands. "Haven't you figured out by now that I don't care?" he chided gently, covering her lips with his in a tender kiss. Any protest Emily may have made was lost as she sighed contentedly into his mouth, her hands slipping under his arms and pressing into his shoulder blades. She opened her mouth to his, allowing his tongue to search for hers, deepening the kiss.

A few moments later, Alexis rounded the corner, only to find the lovers still locked in a passionate embrace. "At least it would appear that my nephew isn't as completely hopeless and clueless as I had thought," she cracked wryly, causing the pair to pull apart. Emily looked embarrassed and bit her lip nervously, while Nikolas merely smiled.

"You thought I was hopeless, huh?" he questioned his aunt.

"Well, since you let her go the first time without telling her how you felt, and then you spent six years not doing anything about it, yes, I did think you were a lost cause." A smile came to her face. "But I cannot tell you how absolutely thrilled I am to be mistaken. I am so, so happy for you both."

Nikolas stepped forward and hugged his aunt as a smile appeared on Emily's face as well. "Thank you," he replied simply. "It means a lot to me to have your support."

Alexis reached out to hug Emily as well. "Of course I'll support your relationship. And so will Ned." She frowned. "It's the only bright spot that's come from this whole Sonny mess."

"I assume you've been briefed on his escape?" Nikolas asked rhetorically.

"Yes, I have. But do you really think he'll come back to Port Charles, Nikolas? That's an awfully risky and dangerous move on his part. Wouldn't he be better off fleeing the country?"

"It would be the safer move," Nikolas agreed. "But that's not the way Sonny thinks. He's too arrogant and cocky to think that he could be caught. He's all about power, and status, and control. He's not going to be willing to give it all up. Nikolas paused, glancing at Emily. "He's going to want to finish what he started." He looked back at Alexis, and his gaze hardened. "He has no idea what he's in for if he tries to hurt Emily."

* * *

"It's been a long day," Emily observed as she and Nikolas entered her apartment later that evening. They had stayed at the PCPD a little longer, but nothing new had happened. The department's computer genius, Damian Spinelli, was trying to track the escape vehicle, and he had promised to let Nikolas know if there were any new developments.

"Yeah," Nikolas agreed. "It's a good thing we stopped and got food at Eli's on the way home, because I am still famished." He set the take-out containers on the counter.

Emily collapsed on the couch with a groan, closing her eyes. "Ugh. I'm almost too tired to eat," she complained. "I just want to take a showed and then crawl into bed."

Nikolas lifted up her feet and sat down on the couch, placing her feet in his lap. "Too tired for Eli's ribs?" he questioned with a smile, rubbing her feet gently.

Emily giggled, opening her eyes and meeting Nikolas's gaze. "Possibly. And if you keep that up, I'll be asleep in no time."

He leaned forward, a devilish smile crossing his face. "I can think of a couple of other things we could do to put you to sleep," he suggested quietly, kissing the side of Emily's neck.

"Mmm…" Emily moaned, arching her neck as Nikolas continued to kiss her. "This would work." She ran her lips across his cheekbone. "Eli's ribs can always be reheated."

"Dinner can wait," Nikolas agreed, shifting his body so that he was on top of Emily on the couch. "Besides," he whispered huskily, pulling her shirt over her head as he trailed kisses down her body, "I've always believed dessert should come first."


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The next few days passed in relative calmness. Emily worked at the hospital, Nikolas always with her, taking his neurotic tendencies to a whole new level, even for a Cassadine. He was constantly checking on her, making sure the hospital and her apartment were secure, even checking public restrooms to make sure there were no mobsters lurking. For her part, Emily thought Nikolas's over-protective nature was adorable. She knew he was only acting that way because he loved her and wanted to keep her safe, and Emily loved him even more for it. He truly was her perfect Prince.

Halloween dawned clear and cold. Emily had dragged Nikolas from the warm confines of her bed to the grocery store early in the morning, claiming she had completely forgotten to buy candy for the trick-or-treaters who would be stopping by later on that evening. Nikolas had grumbled and groaned good-naturedly while secretly loving watching Emily get excited over the prospect of Halloween, almost as if she were still a child herself.

Later that afternoon, Emily stood in the kitchen of her apartment pouring the candy into a bowl. Nikolas walked up behind her and slipped his arms around her, pulling her body back into his. "What are you doing?" he asked, kissing her on the cheek.

"Getting the candy ready," Emily replied, turning her head to return a kiss to his cheek. His hair was still damp from the shower he had just taken, and he was dressed in jeans and a black pullover that was just fitted enough to reveal the rippling muscles of his arms and torso.

Nikolas spun her in his arms so she was facing him, pulling her to him. "Is there any for me?" he asked with a grin, slipping his hands under her sweater and trailing his fingers across her lower back. He leaned down and gently kissed her jaw line, tickling her earlobe with his tongue.

"No," Emily replied with a giggle, twisting away from him and reaching up to grab another bowl from the cabinet. "But if you behave yourself, I promise you there will be some kind of reward," she continued, looking over her shoulder and grinning playfully.

His hands still on her waist, Nikolas lifted Emily easily, sitting her on the counter so that she was facing him. He nudged her legs apart so he could stand between them. "Now Dr. Quartermaine, don't you know it's against the law to bribe a federal agent?" he teased, wrapping his arms around her waist.

Emily nodded, her arms loosely around Nikolas's neck, her forearms resting on his shoulders. "Yes. But I was hoping it would work anyway," she confessed softly, leaning forward and kissing the corner of his mouth.

"I think I can make an exception," Nikolas whispered as Emily kissed him again, deeper and with more passion. Emily tightened her arms around him, folding them around his neck, the fingers of her right hand running through his hair. Nikolas brought his right hand up to cup the back of her head, holding her to him as their lips and tongues tangled together in passion. Emily wrapped her legs around the back of his thighs, pulling him closer, wanting their bodies to be as close as possible.

They finally released from their kiss, both breathing heavily. Nikolas moved his lips to her neck and collarbone and Emily arched her back in response, holding his head to her. "Nikolas…" she said breathily, unable to form a coherent thought because of the sensation of his mouth against her body. "I want you."

Nikolas pulled back to look at her. "I want you, too," he replied, kissing her again with passion. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he picked her up, lips still locked. The bedroom seemed too far away for the present situation, and so Nikolas began carrying her to the couch, bumping into a few walls along the way. They tumbled onto the couch together, Nikolas on top of Emily, the passion and love between them erupting. Nikolas pulled back to remove his shirt before helping Emily do the same. They continued to kiss as their hands frantically worked at removing the rest of their remaining clothes. Nikolas lifted Emily's legs and slid her jeans off her body and then stood to shed his own. Finally, their heated bodies were next to each other, skin on skin.

Emily leaned up and enveloped Nikolas's lips with hers. "I love you," she whispered, her hands stroking his face. Nikolas cupped her face in his hands and stared into her deep brown eyes. "I love you, too." They continued to kiss as their bodies and souls became one, and they slowly and tenderly made love, both amazed at how perfectly they fit together. Afterwards, Emily lay snuggled in the cocoon of Nikolas's arms. Her hand was intertwined with his, and she was idly playing with his fingers. "So," she said, tilting her head back to see his face, "did my bribe work?"

Nikolas chuckled and leaned down to kiss her. "As if you even need to ask."

* * *

"Oh my goodness! Who is this beautiful little Princess?" Emily asked as she opened the door to find her niece waiting on the other side with her brother and sister-in-law in tow. "Cinderella? Aurora? Who?"

"Auntie Emily, it's me, Katie!" the little girl said with a giggle.

Emily knelt down to hug her niece. "I knew that," Emily said with a smile. "You're a princess all on your own." She stood and hugged Jason and Courtney. "Hey, guys."

"Katie insisted on coming here first," Jason informed Emily as he followed her inside the apartment. "She said you always give out the best candy."

"That's because I give out chocolate, right?" Emily asked her niece, who nodded. "You can never have too much chocolate. She glanced at Nikolas, who winked at her in return. Emily turned back to Katie. "Katie, you remember my friend Nikolas, right?"

The little girl nodded. "Are you a police officer?" she asked Nikolas.

He smiled. "Yes, I am."

Emily leaned forward. "You know what else he is, Katie?" The little girl shook her head. "A Prince."

Katie looked at Nikolas with wide eyes. "A real one?" she asked disbelievingly, almost suspiciously.

"My ancestors were royalty in Russia many years ago," Nikolas admitted. "So yes, I am technically a Prince."

Katie pondered this for a moment before turning to Emily. "So does that mean you're his Princess, Auntie Emily?"

Neither Nikolas nor Emily knew how to respond. Before anyone could say anything, Nikolas's phone began ringing, and he excused himself and left the room to answer it. Finally, Emily tuned back to Katie. "What makes you ask that, sweetheart?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I guess because he rescued you, and Princes always rescue Princesses…don't they?"

* * *

Later that evening, Nikolas and Emily were snuggled on the couch after all the trick-or-treaters had come and gone. Emily was laying half on top of Nikolas, her head resting against his chest. Nikolas was on his back, one arm around Emily, and the hand of his other arm stroking her hair.

"I'm sorry if Katie put you on the spot today," Emily murmured. "I just didn't know what to say to her."

Nikolas smiled. "I had no idea what to say, especially with your brother sitting right there." He kissed her forehead. "But I know what I wanted to say."

"What's that?" Emily asked softly, burrowing deeper into his body.

"That she was right," Nikolas affirmed quietly. "That you are my Princess. That you are everything to me, and that when all of this is over, I'll find a way to stay in Port Charles, even if it means leaving the FBI."

Emily picked her head up off his chest. "You'd give up your career for me?"

"I'd give up anything and everything for you, Emily. Nothing matters more to me than us being together, and I plan on being with you and building a life with you for…well, for the rest of my life."

Emily was overcome with emotion and felt the tears welling in her eyes. "Nikolas…" she whispered, reaching up and lightly touching his face. "I want that too." She leaned up and kissed him tenderly. He lifted her body and placed her squarely on top of him as he deepened the kiss. They were just about to get lost in their passion when there was a knock at the door. Immediately, Nikolas's protective mode went into high gear.

"I'll get it," he said, easing her off of him as he stood and made his way to the front door.

"It's probably just some late trick-or-treaters," Emily hypothesized, following behind him.

But as Nikolas looked through the peephole, he knew the men outside the door were not trick-or-treaters. No, this group of seven men all wore masks, and one was pointing a gun right at the doorknob.

He shoved Emily towards the bedroom just as the crack of a gunshot resounded thought the apartment and the door was knocked in. "Go!" he urged her as men swarmed the apartment. Nikolas turned to face the attackers as Emily ran to the bedroom.

Emily frantically picked up the phone to dial 911 only to be met with silence. The telephone lines had been cut, and Emily realized with despair that she had left her cell phone charging in the kitchen. Glancing around the room, she saw Nikolas's gun on the nightstand. She picked it up, turning off the safety and making sure it was loaded, just as Jason had taught her at some self-defense course she had taken at the gym. Before she could exit the bedroom, she heard a voice shout from the living room.

"Emily! You have ten seconds to get out here before I blow your precious Prince's brains out!" came the angry yell of Sonny Corinthos, followed by the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked. She felt her blood run cold and a knot of fear form in the pit of her stomach. She knew Sonny would not hesitate to make good on his threat. Setting the gun down, she slowly made her way to the living room.

She entered the living room to find Nikolas being restrained by two of Sonny's men. One man was lying unconscious on the ground, and another two men were standing off to the side. Sonny himself was holding a gun to Nikolas's temple. Blood was trickling from his split lip, but Nikolas's eyes were focused solely on her as she entered the room.

Sonny looked up as she came in and then glanced back at Nikolas. "Well, Prince, it seems as if your life has been spared…for now." Walking over to Emily, an evil grin overcame the mobster's face. "Emily, how nice to see you again." He trailed a finger down her cheek and Emily shuddered involuntarily. "You've healed nicely from our last encounter," he continued.

"Get your hand off of her!" Nikolas yelled.

Sonny turned back to Nikolas with a sardonic smile. "I don't think you are in the position to be making demands, Prince." He turned back to Emily. "I, on the other hand, am. So here's how it's going to be: you are either going to leave with me, or you get to watch dear Prince Cassadine take a bullet to the head. What's it going to be?"

"Emily, no! Don't do this," Nikolas said, earning him a punch in the stomach from one of Sonny's goons.

"Leave him alone!" Emily cried. "I'll go with you, but you have to promise not to hurt him, Sonny."

"I promise not to hurt him," Sonny repeated robotically.

Emily looked at Nikolas, who was silently begging with his eyes for her not to go. Emily couldn't stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks. _I love you,_ she mouthed to him.

Sonny jerked her towards the door. "Let's go," he growled, commanding the two men not holding Nikolas to follow him. At the door, he turned to the other men. "Take care of him," he ordered. "I want his body floating in the river by tomorrow morning." He flashed Nikolas an evil grin. "So long, Prince Nikky."

"No!" Emily shouted, trying to break free of Sonny's grasp, but it was too strong. "Nikolas!" she cried. "Nikolas!" Sonny dragged her out of the apartment, her cries echoing into the dark, cold night.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

"You bastard!" Emily shouted at Sonny Corinthos, even though she could not see him. After being kidnapped from her apartment, Emily had been knocked unconscious a d had regained consciousness only to find herself blindfolded and tied hand and foot to a chair. "You said that if I went with you, Nikolas wouldn't get hurt!"

She could feel Sonny next to her as he leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Actually, I promised that _I _wouldn't hurt him. I never made any promises about my men." He laughed venomously. "I bet they're having some real fun with him as we speak."

Emily struggled valiantly against her binds, but was unable to loosen them. She was terrified for both herself and Nikolas, but she didn't want to give Sonny the satisfaction of seeing her scared. "Why are you doing this?" she asked. "Why didn't you just leave the country when you had the chance?"

"Because," Sonny replied, trailing a finger down her cheek and causing Emily to jerk away, "you and I have some unfinished business. Just think, Emily, all of this could have been avoided. Nikolas would still be alive if you had only given me what I wanted in the beginning. Now, you have another choice. I'm going to take you out of the country. You can either choose to go with me and give me what I want, or you will die." He pulled her blindfold off so he could stare threateningly into her eyes. "Understand?"

She returned his gaze defiantly. "You may as well kill me now, because there is no way in hell I will ever give you what you want."

Sonny grabbed her chin tightly between his fingers, pulling her head toward him. "If you won't give me what I want, I will take it from you, and then I'll kill you." He tied her blindfold tightly around her eyes. "I have to go make arrangements to get us out of the country. I'll be back later. Don't go anywhere, now." He left the room laughing, once again leaving Emily in darkness.

* * *

"Look, I don't need to see a doctor," Nikolas protested as he sat in a hospital bed at General Hospital. "I don't have time."

"I'm sorry, Agent Cassadine," said the nurse, a young blond woman named Nadine with an irritatingly perky voice that didn't make her sound at all sorry. "But it's doctor's orders. You can't leave here until you've been examined."

Nikolas struggled to control his temper. "I don't care if it's the doctor's orders. There are more important things going on right now than my health. I need to get out of here."

At that moment, the door to the examination room opened and Alan and Monica entered. Nikolas addressed Alan immediately. "Dr. Quartermaine, you have to release me. I have to go find her."

"How could you have let this happen?" Alan asked angrily. "You said you would protect her!"

"Alan, be quiet!" Monica ordered. "I understand that you are worried and concerned for Emily, but yelling at Nikolas is not going to make the situation better." She sighed and looked at Nikolas. "Besides, from what I heard, Nikolas came very close to dying tonight." She turned to him. "How in the world did you manage to survive?"

Nikolas shrugged. "All Marines learn how to take a beating. Besides, Sonny's men were more concerned with trying to impress each other than with actually killing me. So, I let them beat me up for a little bit, and then we they became cocky and over-confident, I just turned the tables on them."

"Well quite frankly, I'm amazed you're still alive," Monica told him. "You have quite a few bruised ribs, multiple cuts and lacerations, but other than that you have no serious internal injuries. Not many men can take on four well-armed thugs and walk away from it. But now you need to let your body rest."

Nikolas shook his head. "I can't do that. Nothing is more important to me right now that getting Emily back safely. Once I do that, then I'll rest." He looked beseechingly at Monica. "Please, Monica. Please let me go find her and rescue her before Sonny does something to her."

Monica nodded in acquiescence. "All right. Bring my daughter back."

"Thank you," Nikolas said sincerely, getting out of bed. He headed for the door, but before he reached it the door opened, revealing his boss, Aaron Spurlock.

"Not so fast, Agent Cassadine," Spurlock said. "You aren't going anywhere."

"With all due respect, sir, I'm fine. I need to be out there looking for Emily."

"I don't doubt that you are physically healthy enough to look for Emily Quartermaine, Agent Cassadine. The fact of the matter is that you are not allowed to. I have officially removed you from this case, effective immediately."

Nikolas felt as though the wind had been knocked out of him. "What? Why? Sir, all of our resources need to be focused on finding Emily. I know this area. I need to be out there."

Spurlock shook his head. "No. I told you not to get too personally involved, but you did. You always were. You don't have the ability to be objective about this, so I'm removing you. You will have no contact with the FBI or the PCPD, do you understand?"

Nikolas grudgingly nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Good. I'm posting a guard outside your door, just in case you decide to defy my order." He turned to leave. "Get some rest."

"Damn it," Nikolas muttered it frustration the second Spurlock was gone. "There's no way…he can't do this." He seemed close to tears. The thought of not being able to search for Emily was killing him.

Monica laid a sympathetic hand on his arm. "I'm sorry, Nikolas. Please try and get some rest. I'll be back later to check on you." She and Alan left.

"I'll be back later to check on you, too," Nadine chirped, exiting as well.

Nikolas sighed and closed his eyes. He couldn't believe this was happening. There was no way in hell he was going to lie in a hospital bed while other people searched for Emily. They weren't as invested as he was. This was personal. Opening his eyes, he got out of bed and walked to the door. Standing outside guarding his room was one of the newly minted cadets of the PCPD. Barrett, his name was. "Cadet Barrett," Nikolas called, beckoning him inside.

"Yes, sir?" the cadet responded.

"I assume your orders are to not let me leave this room?" Nikolas asked rhetorically. The cadet nodded. "Well, that's nice, but here's the deal," Nikolas continued. "You have two options. One: you can pretend to go get a cup of coffee and let me walk out of here, or two: I can knock you unconscious and then leave. What's it going to be?" He looked at the cadet, completely serious.

Nikolas intimidated Cooper Barrett. If Nikolas could take out three of Sonny's best men without a problem, then Cooper stood no chance against him. "I'll just…go get a coffee."

Nikolas nodded. "Good choice." He watched Barrett leave before making his exit. As he made his way down the back stairwell without detection, all of his thoughts turned to finding Emily. Where should he look first?

* * *

"Our plans to leave the country are almost in place,' Sonny declared as he walked back into the room where he was holding Emily. "Enjoy your last few hours in Port Charles."

Emily tilted her head defiantly. "You're sadly mistaken if you think I am going anywhere with you. Nikolas is alive, and he's going to come for me. And when he does, you're going to regret kidnapping me."

Suddenly, Emily felt Sonny's hand come crashing into her face, forcing her head to the side. "You listen to me," he growled inches from her ear. "Your boyfriend is dead. And even if Prince Nikky were miraculously alive, he would never think to look for you here. The Prince's family home would be the last place he'd think to look, and by that time you and I would be long gone."

Emily's head was reeling, and not from Sonny hitting her. They were at Wyndemere? Would Nikolas think to look here? She heard Sonny leave and immediately began trying to loosen her bonds. Nikolas was alive. She could feel it; all she needed was to get a message to him and tell him where she was. If only she could escape, but she was bound too tightly. Closing her eyes, she silently called to Nikolas. _I'm at Wyndemere, Nikolas. Come find me,_ she begged. _Please come find me. I love you._

* * *

Nikolas was crossing the pier, trying to figure out where Sonny had taken Emily, when he heard her voice behind him, calling his name. He turned to see Emily standing behind him. "I'm at Wyndemere, Nikolas," she said. "Come find me. Please come find me. I love you." As quickly as she appeared, she vanished.

Nikolas was stunned. Was Emily really at Wyndemere, or had he imagined the entire thing? He could feel Emily inside of him, telling him to trust his instincts, to believe in her. In them. He quickly began running to the docks. He would call for backup later. Right now, all that mattered was getting to Emily. "Hold on, baby," he whispered. "I'm on my way."


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Being deprived of sight was both disorienting and clarifying, Emily realized as she sat waiting in the chair. Disorienting, because she had absolutely no idea where she was in relation to anything but the chair she was tied to. Clarifying, because all her other senses had become heightened as a result. She could feel the rope chafing her wrists. She could smell and taste the coppery blood that lingered in her mouth, the result of Sonny's fist colliding with her face. And she could acutely hear the pounding of her own heart in her chest as it reverberated in her ears.

She was becoming increasingly nervous. Her time had to be running out. Sonny would be coming for her soon, and she needed to be ready. There was no way she was going to let Sonny force her to leave the country so he could take her to some hidden island so he could do God only knew what to her. Emily began trying to formulate escape plans. When he came, he would have to untie her to move her. Maybe then she could find a way to get past him and escape. It was a long shot, but it was her only option. She would not go without a fight.

Emily was so focused on formulating a plan that she almost didn't hear the creak of a door opening or the tread of quiet footsteps on the floor. But she did. Her whole body stiffened and her head snapped up. Was it Sonny? Had her time run out? But then she felt a gentle hand on her head, a touch she would recognize anywhere, and relief flooded her body. "Nikolas?" she whispered, feeling the bonds on her hands being loosened. Her blindfold was removed, and Emily's eyes focused on the man now kneeling in front of her.

"Oh, Emily, thank God you're okay," Nikolas murmured as he worked on untying the ropes around her ankles. The moment she was free, Emily threw herself into his arms, holding him tighter than she ever had before, the tears flowing down her face. She felt Nikolas wrap his arms around her tightly, crushing her to him.

"I knew you would come find me," she whispered, her cheek pressed to the crook of his neck. "I knew you weren't dead."

Nikolas moved her away gently so he could see her eyes, running his fingers lightly over the bruise forming on her cheek. "I love you so much," he whispered, capturing her lips in a tender kiss than showed how thankful he was that she was okay, his hand moving gently over her hair.

"I love you too, Nikolas," Emily replied when the kiss ended, tears still tracking their way down her cheeks.

Nikolas smiled softly as he brushed the tears from her cheeks, but the smile soon fell from his face. "We've got to get out of here," he said quietly. "Can you walk?"

"I think so," Emily whispered. "My legs are just a little weak from being tied up and having no circulation."

He stood and helped Emily to her feet. She stumbled a little, clutching onto Nikolas and leaning into his side, putting pressure on his already tender ribs. He groaned in spite of himself, causing Emily to look at him with alarm. "Are you all right?" she questioned. Seeing the look of pain on his face, she quickly eased her weight off his ribcage. "Where are you hurt?" she asked, concerned.

Nikolas shook his head. "I'm fine, Emily. I'll tell you all about it once we're safe, but right now we need to go." Wrapping his left arm around her waist, he began leading her towards the tunnel entrance. "Come on," he encouraged. "I've got you," he whispered, holding his gun in his right hand. Before they could reach the passageway, a voice stopped them in their tracks.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Sonny inquired, his voice cold and menacing. Nikolas spun around, his gun pointed at the mobster. "Put the gun down, Prince Nikky," Sonny commanded. "Or I will put a bullet in Emily before you even pull the trigger."

Nikolas knew Sony was right. He let the gun fall from his hand and kicked it away.

"Very good, Prince," Sonny snarled. "I knew you would do what I asked if I threatened Emily, just as she did when I threatened you. It's amazing the way people can be manipulated by their emotions, especially a weak emotion like love."

Nikolas and Emily exchanged glances but said nothing. Nikolas began to slowly move sideways so that his own body shielded Emily.

"You know, I do have to give you both some credit," Sonny continued, almost conversationally. "You, Prince, for having survived my men, and you, Emily, for believing your dear Prince was still alive. If it's any consolation, she never gave up on you, Cassadine. You star-crossed lovers found your way back to each other, just like some pathetic, modern day Romeo and Juliet. But Romeo and Juliet didn't get their happily ever after, you know. They died tragically, together. Who knows, maybe the good people of Port Charles will feel the same way about your deaths. I guess the only question is, who is going to watch who die?" He pointed his gun at Emily, who was partially blocked by Nikolas. "Should Romeo watch his beloved Juliet bleed to death as he stands by, helpless?" He shifted his aim to Nikolas. "Or should Juliet, with all her medical training, valiantly try to save her Romeo, only to watch him choke on his own blood?"

Nikolas shook his head. "You think Emily and I are weak, Sonny?" he challenged. "You're the one who is weak," he goaded, trying to distract Sonny. "The love Emily and I share is stronger than anything you can do to us. Nothing, not even death, will ever tear us apart."

"We'll have to see about that," Sonny growled, his gun still pointed at Nikolas. "Say goodbye, Prince Cassadine."

Nikolas moved so fast he was a blur. In one motion he pushed Emily to the ground and pulled a second gun from the holster at the small of his back. He fired a split second before Sonny did. Nikolas's bullet hit Sonny squarely between the eyes, killing him instantly, while Sonny's shot pierced Nikolas's left shoulder, knocking him to the ground as blood began to flow from his wound.

Emily was by his side in moments, assessing his wound and trying to stem the tide of blood from his shoulder. "Nikolas, can you hear me?" she asked urgently.

Nikolas nodded. "Is he dead?" he asked.

Emily glanced at Sonny's prone figure lying on the floor. "Yes," she replied. Glancing around the room, she spotted some towels stacked on a table. She quickly retrieved them and returned to Nikolas. Gently, she pressed the cloth to his shoulder, causing him to wince in pain. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "But I need to control the bleeding."

"I know, baby," Nikolas whispered, reaching up with his right hand to brush his fingers across her cheek. "The police are already on their way. I called them when I arrived at Wyndemere."

"Okay," Emily replied, noticing how pale Nikolas was and how weak his voice sounded. "Stay with me, Nikolas," she begged, tears falling from her eyes. "Please don't leave me."

Nikolas smiled slightly, his hand still resting against her cheek. "I'll never leave you, Emily," he whispered, struggling to keep his eyes open.

At that moment the police and paramedics entered the room. While the police secured the area and checked to make sure Sonny was dead, the paramedics began attending to Nikolas. He willed himself to focus his eyes on Emily as she gripped his hand tightly.

"You did a great job of keeping his bleeding under control," the paramedic told Emily as Nikolas was loaded onto a stretcher. "Without it, he would have definitely bled to death by now."

Emily merely nodded, refusing to break her intense gaze with Nikolas or to consider the full import of the paramedic's words. Nikolas dying was not an option. She walked beside the stretcher as it was wheeled to the launch, her hand never letting go of Nikolas's.

"Emily," Nikolas called out, struggling to maintain consciousness. "You have to get checked out by the paramedics, baby. They have to make sure you're okay…"

"Shh," Emily comforted, leaning down to brush his hair from his eyes. "I'm fine, and you're going to be fine, too. Just don't talk…conserve your energy and your strength." She pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. "I'm going to be right here with you. I love you, Nikolas."

"Love you, too," Nikolas whispered, allowing unconsciousness to overwhelm him, Emily's one hand securely in his, her other hand stroking his hair and forehead, giving him peace.


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

When Nikolas regained consciousness, several sensations assaulted him at once. His left arm felt as though it weighed a ton, and it ached dully. His head felt fuzzy, and his mouth was incredibly dry, his tongue like sandpaper as he tried to produce enough saliva to swallow. But the one sensation that drowned out all the others was the warmth pressing against his chest. Glancing down, he saw Emily slumped in the chair next to his bed, fast asleep, her head resting on his chest. She wore green scrubs, her hair hastily pulled back into a ponytail. One of her arms was looped over his waist, the other tucked under her body.

With his good hand, Nikolas reached out and gently brushed his knuckles against Emily's cheek. "Emily…" he rasped, his throat still dry.

Emily's eyes fluttered open and met Nikolas's. A look of relief came to her face. "Nikolas," she whispered, a smile lighting her face. "You're awake." She sat up, reaching out and gently touching his face. "I'm going to go get Dr. Carter to examine you. I'll be right back." She left the room, returning moments later followed by a middle-aged doctor.

"Mr. Cassadine, I'm Doug Carter, the trauma surgeon who operated on you. You were very lucky. The bullet passed through your shoulder without causing severe damage to any muscles or tissues, and we were able to patch it up nicely. There won't even be much of a scar. Everything looks good to me, so with some physical therapy, you should make a complete recovery."

"Thank you," Nikolas said, shaking the man's hand.

"You're welcome," Dr. Carter replied. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go check on another patient. Get some rest, Agent Cassadine. You've earned it."

As he left the room, Emily, who had been standing next to his bed, turned to him and took his hand. "Your family is outside waiting to see you. They've all been worried about you. Do you want me to go get them?"

"In a minute," Nikolas replied, tugging on her hand until she sat on the edge of the bed. "I just want to look at you for a while," he continued with a small smile, his eyes tracing her face. "How are you doing?" he asked with quiet concern.

"Much better now that you're awake," Emily answered with a smile. "I was allowed to observe your surgery, and it was a little touch and go for a while. You'd lost so much blood…" she trailed off, her eyes filling with tears.

"Hey, hey, don't cry, baby," Nikolas whispered, reaching up to touch her face. "I'm going to be okay because of you. You saved my life, Em."

"You saved mine," Emily whispered in reply, brushing the tears from her eyes.

"Then I guess we're even," Nikolas said softly. His eyes darkened. "Listen, baby…I'm so sorry that I didn't protect you better. I promised you that I wouldn't let Sonny get to you, and I failed you. He could have killed you…and it would have been all my fault," he continued, tears seeping from his eyes. "And I'm so sorry, and I'm going to spend the rest of my life keeping you safe."

Emily shook her head adamantly. "No, Nikolas. You didn't fail me. You found me when no one else could. You survived and came back to me, Nikolas. I don't blame you for anything that happened. Please don't blame yourself."

Nikolas stared at her, his eyes filled with love. "I love you so much," he whispered. "Come here." Cupping the back of her neck in his hand, he drew her to him until their lips met. Emily immediately responded to his kiss, her hands coming to rest on either side of his face as her mouth opened to his. A small moan escaped as they simultaneously deepened the kiss, their tongues tangling together.

Finally the need for air became overwhelming, and they ended the kiss. Emily sat with her forehead resting against Nikolas's, their eyes locked as Nikolas stroked her hair. "I love you, too," she said breathlessly.

A knock at the door interrupted the moment. Nikolas and Emily looked over to see Alexis, Lucky and Lulu standing at the door. "Nikolas!" Lulu exclaimed, running over to embrace her brother. "Are you okay?" she asked, greatly concerned.

Nikolas smiled at his little sister. "I'm fine, Lulu," he assured her. "Just a scratch."

Lucky rolled his eyes as he shook his brother's hand. "That's right, play it off as if a bullet isn't a big deal." He chuckled. "What a noble, princely thing to do."

"What can I say? I was very well brought up."

"Well, you'll just have to pass those manners on to your nephew. Liz would have come but Eric wouldn't stop crying. She wants you to know how happy she is you both are all right, and that she's thinking of you," Lucky replied, giving Emily a hug as well.

"I'm so glad you're going to be okay," Alexis told her nephew, leaning down to kiss his forehead.

"That makes two of us," Nikolas joked wryly.

"And you, too," Alexis added, embracing Emily. "Thank goodness Sonny didn't hurt you."

"Thanks, Alexis," Emily replied warmly. "But I'm fine." She glanced at Nikolas. "Nikolas saved me before Sonny could hurt me."

Alexis looked at her nephew. "You know, it's a wonder you were able to find Emily as quickly as you did. How on earth did you know to go to Wyndemere?"

"I think we would all like to know the answer to that," came the voice of Mac Scorpio from the doorway, followed by Aaron Spurlock.

"Hey, Lulu, why don't we go get a snack in the cafeteria?" Lucky suggested.

"Right," Lulu replied. "That's my cue to leave." She leaned down and hugged her brother. "Bye, Nikolas. I'm glad you're okay."

After Lucky and Lulu left the room, Nikolas turned to Mac and Spurlock. "What do you want to know?" he asked.

"We need a statement from you about what happened earlier with Sonny. Let's start with when you escaped from the hospital in violation of a direct order," Spurlock suggested sternly.

Nikolas nodded. "First off, Officer Barrett shouldn't be held responsible for my escape. I persuaded him to let me escape. Once I was out of the hospital, I headed to the docks. I was trying to figure out where Sonny had taken Emily."

"What made you decide to go to Wyndemere?" Mac interjected.

Nikolas paused for a moment, debating whether or not to divulge how Emily had appeared to him and told him where she was. He still couldn't quite believe it himself. "It was just a hunch, I guess," he replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "A feeling. I knew Sonny would take Emily somewhere nobody would think to look for him, and Wyndemere seemed as good a place as any."

"Why didn't you call the police?" Spurlock asked next.

Nikolas shrugged. "Well, sir, you warned me not to contact the police. I figured if you didn't want me in the field, you wouldn't want me talking to the PCPD, either. Besides, I didn't want to waste valuable resources if my hunch turned out to be a dead end. Once I arrived at Spoon Island and realized Emily was in fact there, I called the police and told them my location."

"What happened next? How did you get into Wyndemere without being seen?" Spurlock questioned.

"I used to live there. I know all those tunnels and passageways blindfolded. I was able to move around undetected. Sonny was so confident nobody would look for them there that he had no extra security. When I found Emily, I was able to sneak in and release her without being seen."

"So you untie Ms. Quartermaine, start to escape, and then Sonny shows up?" Spurlock continued.

Nikolas nodded. "Emily's legs were weak from lack of circulation, so I was supporting her as we made our way to the tunnels. We were almost there when Sonny entered the room and pointed a gun at us. He made me drop my weapon and then started gloating about killing us, taunting us both."

"Taunting you about what?" Spurlock probed. "Your relationship with Ms. Quartermaine?"

Emily shifted uncomfortably as she stood next to Nikolas's bed, but Nikolas looked calmly at his superior. "Yes. Sonny asked us who was going to watch who die. He was so completely overconfident in his control that I was able to position myself in front of Emily and then get a shot off at him using a secondary weapon I had under my shirt before he tried to kill me."

"You fired only one shot at Sonny and still managed to kill him?" Mac asked incredulously. "How?"

"The Marines didn't train me to miss," Nikolas replied evenly. "Anyway, after Sonny shot me in the shoulder, I made sure he was dead and then Emily was trying to control my bleeding until the police arrived. Most of that part is a little hazy," he admitted. "I don't remember all of it."

Mac shook his head. "That's not necessary. Your version of events fits with Emily's." He turned to Alexis. "Am I right to assume that the District Attorney's office will not be pressing charges?"

Alexis nodded. "It will be ruled as a clean shooting. There will be no further investigation."

"Then I guess we're done here," Spurlock said, putting his notebook back in his breast pocket. "You will, of course, be facing further disciplinary actions from the Bureau for violating orders and breaking multiple protocols regarding relationships during an ongoing investigation," he told Nikolas. "Although, given the overall successful outcome, they might go easy on you."

"That's very kind of you, sir," Nikolas replied, "but I'm afraid it won't be necessary. I'm resigning from the FBI."

Emily stared at him in surprise, her eyes wide with shock. "Nikolas!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

Nikolas met her gaze. "I told you I wouldn't let my job get in the way, Emily. I'm not going to break that promise."

"We can discuss this further when you're out of the hospital," Spurlock said. "Until then, just focus on getting healthy again." He and Mac turned and left the room, leaving only Nikolas, Emily, and Alexis.

"Nikolas…" Emily began, but before she could continue, the door opened and Alan, Monica, AJ, Jason, Courtney, and Katie all entered the room.

"I'm very glad to see you're all right," Monica said, leaning down to give Nikolas a brief hug. "Thank you for bringing my daughter back to me," she whispered into his ear.

Alan shook Nikolas's hand. "Thank you," he said sincerely. Jason and AJ nodded in agreement.

Katie wiggled away form Courtney and ran to Nikolas's bedside, placing a handmade card on his lap. "I made you a get well soon card," she told him. "I hope it makes you feel better." She stretched up on tiptoe to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you," Nikolas replied, seeing Emily smile at her niece. "I feel better already."

The group talked for a few more minutes before Nadine came in demanding, in a disturbingly perky way, that everyone leave because visiting hours were over and Nikolas needed rest. The assembled party said their goodbyes before Emily escorted them out of the room.

Minutes later, she returned to find Nikolas reading the card Katie had made for him. "Looks like you have an admirer," she observed with a smile. "Katie's pretty smitten with you."

"She's a cute kid," Nikolas agreed, setting the card down on the table next to his bed. He looked at Emily with a grin. "I thought visiting hours were over."

Emily continued to smile as she drew a chair close to his bed and sat. "One of the perks of having your father be Chief of Staff is that visiting hours don't apply to you."

Nikolas shook his head. "I'm not going to let you spend all night in that chair," he argued, intertwining her fingers with his.

"Well, I'm not going to leave you here by yourself," Emily countered. "You're stuck with me."

Nikolas smiled as he patted the mattress next to him. "I know. That's why, if you're going to stay, you're staying here." As Emily crawled onto the bed and situated herself in the crook of his arm, he leaned down and murmured, "And for the record, there's no one else I'd rather be stuck with for the rest of my life."

She looked at him. "Nikolas, about before…"

He cut her off by placing his fingers to her lips. "Shh…I told you that I wouldn't let anything stop us from being together, and I meant it."

"I just…I don't want you throwing your career away because of me," Emily whispered. "What will you do?"

"I don't know," Nikolas replied honestly. "Maybe I'll ask Mac for a job with the PCPD. Maybe I'll do something else entirely. All that matters is that we're together, Emily. After everything that's happened, being close to death, seeing you…I know our connection and our love is stronger than anything."

"What do you mean, 'seeing me?'" Emily asked curiously, looking up at him.

"I didn't tell Mac or Spurlock because I wasn't sure they would believe me, but when I was on the docks trying to figure out where Sonny had taken you, I swear I saw you, Em. You spoke to me and told me that you were at Wyndemere, and then you begged me to come find you. It was so real."

She looked at him, tears sparkling in her eyes. "I believe you, Nikolas. When I was all by myself, tied to that chair, I pictured you and tried to communicate with you. I thought those exact words," she admitted.

Nikolas kissed her forehead tenderly. "See, baby, that's how strong our connection is. We have to honor is above everything else." His lips moved to hers. "As long as we have each other, everything else will fall into place. I truly believe that."

"I do, too," Emily whispered in reply, snuggling closer into his side and draping an arm across his waist. She and Nikolas were alive and together, and that really was all that mattered. As she drifted off to sleep safe in her Prince's arms, she knew that they would face obstacles in the future, but as long as their love remained, it would see them through anything.

THE END


End file.
